


Redemption

by Aeon_Wolf



Series: Redemption [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Minor Pairing - Sanvers, Some mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-06-23 12:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 61,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15606816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeon_Wolf/pseuds/Aeon_Wolf
Summary: Lena’s ultimate betrayal will have rippling effects on the war to come. Kara may believe in Lena, but all her former friends sure don’t. They need her help but are unwilling to trust the ruthless daughter of Hyperion. The road to redemption is never easy. And does Lena even truly deserve it?OrA PJO inspired Supercorp series. Part Three: Redemption





	1. Defection

I.

_ “Well, you can’t survive on your own either. They’ll hunt you down. Look. I wasn’t able to be there for you then. I know that. For two years you endured things I could only dream of in my nightmares. But I want to be there for you now. Let me prove it to you.” _

Ducking and weaving through the school building that now lie in ruin, Lena stayed close on Kara’s heels, following her. “This way,” Kara said over her shoulder as the two sped through the school and out a side door of the front building into a nearby forest. Lena kept a close watch on her surroundings for any straggling enemies coming their direction, but it seemed that once the retreat by the halfbloods had been sounded, the Titan army was more interested in holding the school than pursuing any fleeing halfbloods. 

Kara finally came to a slow jog as they got deeper into the forest. Lena slowed as well before both of them came to a stop, both panting lightly as the extended use of their powers and running from the Titan army took its toll. “Our backup base isn’t far from here,” Kara said. Lena frowned. 

“So close to the school? Are you sure that’s a good idea?” She questioned. Kara nodded. 

“It’s quite safe. We’ve had children of Hecate working on it for some time. It’s magically warded that no one from the Titan army can find it easily. And we’ll be in danger from attack at any place we go anyway. This way we're close to the gates of Olympus.” She assured Lena. The half titan looked skeptical but followed Kara as the two slowed to a walking pace. “So, how are you doing?” Kara asked cautiously. Lena glanced at Kara, sighing. 

“I don’t know. It’s a whole mess of emotions. Anger. Freedom. Relief. Uncertainty.” She admitted. “I’m finally free of the abuse of my father and uncles. But angry that this is my only option. Side with the Gods.” She sneered. Kara bit her lip. 

“They’re not all bad.” She tried. Lena just scoffed. 

“Maybe to you. You’re one of them, Kara. Or at least half of them. I’m not. I’m half of what they’ve learned to hate. Look, given the history between the Titans and the Gods, it wasn’t completely unjustified to lock them away and siphon off their powers.” She said. “But they would and have treated me like one of the Titans. Long before I joined them.” She said bitterly. “I was always a pawn. Just another asset to them. To be judged based on what I am. Not who I am.” Kara gave Lena a sympathetic look. 

“I can’t understand how you felt, but it’s clearly affected you in ways that are negatively impacting you.” Kara started. 

“It… you can’t imagine, Kara. And I’m sorry I left. Left you. But it was the only way.” Lena said bitterly. Kara cut in.

“We don’t have to talk about it now.” She said. “There’s ample time for that. RIght now, we need to get to safety.” Lena nodded in agreement, following Kara without further question. Before long, Kara takes Lena’s hand. Lena looked up questioningly. 

“You need to be touching me to see the bunker. I can guide you through the wards.” She explained. Lena blinked, but nodded and gripped Kara’s hand, clinging onto it like a lifeline. Lena felt the overwhelming sensation to turn around and walk away. Followed by the sensation of being doused in cold water. She shivered but Kara’s just held her hand tighter, guiding her through. She concentrated on Kara walking in front of her, gazing at the head of blonde hair and the hand holding hers tightly. Focused on it and let it be her anchor to walk through the spells cast around the halfblood’s base. “Close your eyes,” Kara said. “It can get rather bright.” She added. Lena complied, trusting Kara to guide her through. Behind her closed eyes, she could make out a bright flash of light that lingered for a few seconds before fading. 

Suddenly, She felt Kara stop and tense. Her eyes shot open to see a familiar group of halfbloods standing in front of her, weapons drawn and pointed straight at her. 

“How dare you show your face here.” Alex hissed, her spear just inches away from Lena’s chest. Lena looked down at the weapon, before back up and meeting Alex’s angry gaze. Mon-El was standing next to Alex, his own sword drawn and shield on his arm. He had a deep frown and a distrustful look on his face. James also accompanied the group, his own sword drawn, but not pointed at Lena. Instead, he shot her what looked like an apologetic look, glancing at his counterparts. 

“She’s here to help us, Alex.” Kara tried but Alex just moved forward, the tip of her spear just touching Lena’s breastplate. The half titan just stood stock still, waiting for someone to make a move. She was not going to make the first one as it would just give them an excuse to kill her. And despite everything, she really didn’t want to die. 

“Bullshit Kara. After everything she’s done? To us? To you?” Alex yelled angrily. “We should kill her and be done with it.” Lena tensed at this declaration, her fists clenching and twitching to grab her swords and defend herself, but put her life in Kara’s hands. 

“She wouldn’t have come here without a reason Alex, we should at least listen to her,” James spoke up. Alex turned to James, glaring at him.

“She’s the enemy.” She said. Mon-El nodded in agreement. Lena sighed, her presence already ripping the group apart. She slowly dropped Kara’s hand, slowly reaching for the swords strapped to her back. Alex noticed out of the corner of her eye, moving forward and pushing the spear higher into Lena’s face. Mon-El also moved forward, his shield raised and sword pointed at her stomach. Kara moved to protest, but Lena shot her a stern look that clearly said ‘Stay out of this.’ 

James looked warily between Lena and the two halfbloods advancing on her. Lena continued on her path, grabbing her swords from the sheaths on her back, dropping them on the ground. She noticed Alex relax if only slightly, her spear still shoved in her face. “I’m not here to fight you, Alex. Mon-El.” She said, slowly moving towards a hidden dagger on her bicep. Alex tensed, but Lena just pulled the dagger out and held it out to Kara. 

Kara reached out to take the dagger from her, holding it at her side. Alex’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re playing at Luthor…” Alex trailed off as Lena continued to disarm. She took at least five daggers out of various hidden places on her armor, handing them to Kara one by one. 

“Hear me out for two seconds Alex. I don’t deserve forgiveness. And I’m not here to get it. And I probably don’t deserve this chance. But your stubborn sister refuses to grant me a final release.” She started. Alex glared at her sister who just narrowed her eyes in return. 

“You can’t just simply leave the Titan’s side. Not after everything you’ve done.” Mon-El exclaimed. Lena turned her attention to him, her fiery eyes glowing. 

“You mean like finally standing up to the man who stripped me of almost everything I am?” She questioned. “Defending Kara from a monster like him?” She continued. “I may be the monster you all think I am,” She said, Kara moved to interject but Lena continued. “But it takes a monster to defeat another.”

“How do we know this isn’t a trap?” James asked. He just wanted to soothe his fellow halfblood’s suspicions.

“My father doesn’t take betrayal or insubordination lightly. Standing up to him, in view of the world to see? I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m telling you that my betrayal of my father will bring the world down on me. And subsequently you. As loathe as I am to admit it, I can’t win this alone. I can’t run and hide. I’m offering you my knowledge and expertise in how the Titans operate to help you win this war. Take it or just kill me now.” She said. Alex seemed to actually put thought into the offer. 

James, however, spoke first. “We need all the help we can get right now.” He said. “We’re not really in a position to turn her down guys. Besides, keep your enemies closer?” He questioned. Alex’s eyes narrowed, as she shoved her spear closer to Lena’s nose. 

“You do as much as even sneeze in our direction, I won’t hesitate to finish the job I started.” She said dangerously. Lena hardened her gaze, unafraid of Alex’s threat, nodding. Seemingly satisfied for the time being, Alex lowered her spear, strapping it to her back before stalking away. Kara moved to try to catch her sister but was too slow. And she didn’t want to leave Lena’s side at the moment. The tenseness of the situation made Kara want to make sure someone didn’t just jump the half titan without thinking. Mon-El grunted, lowering his own sword and following Alex without another word. 

Then there was just Lena, James and Kara standing on the inner edge of the wards. “I’m glad you’re here.” James was the first to speak. Lena looked up at him.

“You don’t want to kill me on the spot?” She questioned. He chuckled, shaking his head. 

“You spared my life once. I owe you for that. And I don’t believe you’re evil. Just lost.” He said. Lena sighed. 

“I don’t support the Gods. And I never will. But living with the Titans for so long, neither side is what they say they are. The corruption I’ve seen at the hands of both the Gods and Titans is great. If I could, I’d run. Leave now. But I know that’s impossible. I can’t remain on the run from the Titans and the Gods for long. This is the best course of action. I only hope that it’s not too late.” She said. James put a hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

“Whatever the others say, you have a place here.” He said. Kara finally spoke as well, throwing her arms around Lena’s neck, the raven-haired woman yelping a bit in surprise. 

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Lena.” She said softly. “The others will come around. I’m just glad you’re here.” She said. Lena looked up at James who nodded. She carefully put her own arms around Kara's waist. 

“I missed you too.” She said.

II.

Alex paced back and forth, fuming. “The nerve!” She said angrily while Maggie stood by and tried to calm her wife down. “To think she can just waltz in here and expect to be forgiven and accepted back into the fold.” 

“I doubt that’s what she wants,” Maggie said, more calmly than her counterpart. She may have felt equally as betrayed by Lena, but Maggie was the first to befriend Lena. The first to really understand her. Lena was not the type of person to expect anything. “We are her only hope.” She said. “And strategically, separate yourself from your feelings, Alex, if such an asset showed up on your doorstep, would you turn it away?” She asked. Alex groaned. 

“No, I suppose not. But she caused years of pain for my baby sister? What am I supposed to do?” Alex asked. 

“Accept her help. That’s all you have to do. No one is asking you to make up. Or even accept  _ her _ . Just think about all the lives we could save if Lena is feeding us information. Even helping us. You and I both know she’s the most talented fighter we’ve come across in a long time. Even by being here, she’s helping. The Titans are deprived of a major asset. Their ground commander. Don’t turn her away to go crawling back to the Titans.” Maggie implored. Alex sighed, sitting down on her bed. 

“You’re right. As always.” Alex said, finally cooling down from the spike of anger and adrenaline. “We need to call a meeting as soon as possible. Discuss what to do next. The school is lost. The next assault will be on Olympus itself. We always knew that. We have a fraction of the forces we did and the Titan army will be on our doorstep before we know it.” Maggie nodded in agreement. 

“And we will. But everyone needs to lick their wounds. Winn has a burnt arm. J’onn, a broken wrist. And other countless wounds to tend to. Give them time.” Maggie said, pulling Alex to lay in the bed. “And you need to relax. And I can think of a few ways to unwind.” Maggie said suggestively, leaning over to kiss her wife. 

“I suppose I can spare a few minutes,” Alex said cheekily, relaxing into the bed with a smirk. 

III. 

Mon-El sat by Winn’s side as the son of Hephaestus got his burn treated and bandaged. “She did what?” Winn cried out suddenly. Mon-El held his friend’s good arm around, silently asking him to calm down. 

“Don’t irritate your wound further.” He said. “She brought Lena back. She’s with Kara and James now.” He continued. 

“How did Kara think that is a good idea?” Winn question, wincing as his arm throbbed. Mon-El shrugged. 

“I don’t know. You know Kara has been hung up on Lena since day one.” Mon-El said. “And Kara believes in Lena to a fault.” 

“You don’t…” Winn trailed off. Mon-El nodded. 

“I trust Kara with my life. You know that. But Lena is dangerous. I don’t agree with Kara’s move, but she’s stubborn. The best we can do is keep a close eye on Lena. And develop contingency plans… just in case.” He said darkly. Winn’s face paled but nodded in agreement. 

“It does kind of feel wrong though, doesn’t it? She was once our friend.” Winn said doubtfully. 

“I know. I don’t like it any more than you do. But she tried to kill us. Multiple times.” Mon-El justified. Winn sighed then nodded in agreement. 

“You have my support.” He said, offering Mon-El his good hand. The son of Ares shook it firmly.

IV.

A new set of dark eyes watched the newcomer from a distance, her arms folded, silently observing. This new addition to the group would make moving forward difficult, but it wasn’t impossible. The demi titan was talented. And what’s more, she was disciplined. More than the other Greek halfbloods. She could respect that. After all, her Greek counterparts were sloppy. Overly passionate. Often times brash. 

The Legion taught its Roman students to think critically. And strategically. Lena may once have been their enemy. But a Roman never turns their back on a potential resource, as distrustful as they were as a culture. There was a reason the Romans and their Greek counterparts rarely got along. But desperate times called for desperate measures and the Legion had sent the Centurion from the Second Cohort to lend a hand. Perhaps the unorganized and brutish Greek army could learn a thing or two from a trained daughter of Janus, Centurion of the Second Cohort of the Roman Legion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! After 10 months of waiting, agonizing and pondering over this, I finally bring you the final part to my PJO inspired Supercorp series. I'm hoping this part of the series will leave everyone satisfied. I know the ending of Betrayal wasn't the best, but I'm going to try my hardest to make sure this part is executed to the best of my ability. 
> 
> So a note to anyone reading as I upload and not at a later date, I'm in the process of writing one other multi-chapter Avalance story and don't know what my upload schedule is going to be like. I'm shooting for once a week, especially because I have this story outlined pretty well. Word count will probably be similar to the other parts of the story. ~50k, give or take. 
> 
> All of the reviews and questions inquiring into the completion of this has really spurred me to work hard to finish the outline. Thank you to everyone who's kept with me thus far and I apologize for taking so long on this. Season 3 of Supergirl really... didn't do it for me. And my attention has been diverted largely to Legends of Tomorrow/Avalance a significant bit, but I've always felt a responsibility to at least finish this series. So here I am. 
> 
> Keep in mind this is not going to be an easy kiss and makeup story between Lena and Kara. Someone questioned me recently about the third part of this story and I don't want this to be easy. Not after everything that's happened. Everything Lena's done. And I know months back many people didn't want to see a story where Lena got off scot-free from the consequences of her actions. To ride happily ever after into the sunset with Kara as it were. And I never intended for that to happen. You'll just have to wait and see where we go. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy the final part of this series. It's been a long time and I'm looking forward to hearing feedback on the series. Feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me at: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com
> 
> (As a quick note, I recall at some point in the past, someone questioned me as to why this series was marked as M, not T. I changed the ratings for all parts. At one point in the series, I thought I'd be writing explicit scenes but scrapped that as the story took on a mind of its own. I don't plan on that, so rating should be correct now).


	2. Council

I.

After wounds had been patched and heads had been cooled, J’onn called the halfbloods together to discuss their next course of action. The top of the list being what to do about their new defector.

“She needs to be involved in these meetings!” Kara argued. Mon-El sighed, shaking his head.

“So she can report back to the Titans about what our next move is going to be? Is that really your plan Kara?” He retorted. They sat across from each other, all around a round table.

“You can’t honestly believe she’d do that,” Kara said angrily. She couldn’t believe they refused to see what Lena was and had put at risk by saving Kara and agreeing to come with her.

“She has a point man,” James interjected as Mon-El was about to argue further. “Lena’s at great personal risk to herself even being here. She knows that.” He reasoned.

“She spent a couple of years with them, James. She was with us for a fraction of that time. You really think her loyalty is to us, not them?” Alex jumped in. J’onn simply sat silently at the table, watching the exchange between the halfbloods.

“No, I don’t. I think her loyalty is to herself.” He said. “I’m not fool enough to think Lena is here out of the goodness of her heart, certainly. But she had to know if she was truly here to spy on us, that we’d be watching her like hawks and she’d be held the highest scrutiny. Besides, why her? She isn’t exactly the most inconspicuous person to send to spy. Besides, she’s supposed to be their commander. Wouldn’t it be a waste of a resource to send someone that important on a spying mission when you could just as easily send a low-level scout? And she was right. Hyperion is a Titan. And I’d assume they are much like the Gods in that they don’t like to be challenged. We all saw it. Lena fought him. And won by the looks of it.” He defended.

“But that doesn’t mean she has to be involved in these meetings,” Maggie said. “Like you said, we’re putting a great deal of cautious trust in her by her being here at all. Don’t you think it’s a step too far to have her on the war council? After everything, we barely know who she is anymore.” She said sadly. Of all the halfbloods, Maggie had taken Lena’s betrayal hard. Harder than anyone except perhaps Kara. Maggie had always found it rather easy to make friends at Demos, but Lena had been something special. She had been Lena’s first friend at the school and she took that role rather seriously. It had crushed her to have to see Lena on the other side of the battlefield.

“She has important information that could be of use to us.” Kara shot back. “And if we’re going to be discussing her role in our plans, shouldn’t she be involved? She’s not just another soldier.”

Winn glanced at Mon-El who seemed to concede to Kara’s point, though they both stayed silent. “Kara, I know you want to believe in her. But to include her now, that would send all sorts of wrong messages to everyone left.” J’onn finally said. Kara groaned.

“Why can’t you all see that she wants to help?” Kara complained.

“Because every other time we’ve come across her, she’s tried to stick a sword in us, Kara.” Alex retorted.

“I know you don’t like her Alex, but you have to see reason. She has the skills, power, and knowledge to fight the Titans. She’s our best asset. Our best chance to win this war! Despite your personal issues with her, everyone’s issues with her, she accepted my offer. She came with me, knowing she wouldn’t be accepted or trusted here. She deserves at least a chance to speak.” Kara implored her sister to see sense.

James tried to step in to calm everyone down. “Look, we’re getting nowhere arguing. Can we not come to a compromise?” He asked. Maggie glanced at Alex, who refused to acknowledge James’ request. She sighed, putting a hand on her wife’s arm.

“As much as I don’t want her here, James is right. We’re getting nowhere. We’ve already allowed her to stay here. There has to be a middle ground.” She said, looking at Alex. The halfblood looked back before sighing. She then turned to look at Kara.

“Can we agree to allow her to share what she has, but she can’t be present when we are strategizing. At least for now?” Alex offered. She knew in her heart, Kara was right. She hated Lena with every fiber of her being. But she acknowledged that Lena was their best chance of winning the war. If the halftitan was being truthful at least. And she was willing to at least, hear her out. Kara nodded slowly.

“Is this agreeable to everyone else?” James asked. Alex folded her arms but nodded slowly. Her disapproval was clear. J’onn also nodded curtly, though it was obvious his sentiments were similar to Alex. Winn and Mon-El agreed more readily. “Good,” James said. “It’s probably best that we get this show on the road. It’s only a matter of time before the Titans make their next move.” He said. Kara nodded.

“I’ll go find Lena.” She said, jumping at the chance to leave the room.

II.

Lena sat on a large boulder near the edge of the wards. She had no desire to try to mingle with the halfbloods. They would all certainly be hostile towards her, not that she didn’t deserve it. But still, it was not an interaction she was looking forward to. Her ears perked up as she heard footsteps coming towards her. She was unarmed, having giving Kara her daggers, though she could summon her swords if necessary. She clenched her fists, prepared to defend herself if need be. But as she looked up, she saw a halfblood standing stiffly next to her. One she did not recognize.

“I’m not going to attack you if that’s what you’re worried about.” She said, sitting down next to Lena, her hands in the air in surrender. Lena relaxed slightly, though still wary of this new halfblood.

“You’d be the first.” Lena scoffed. The new halfblood chuckled.

“I, unlike my Greek counterparts here, think with my head, not my heart.” She replied. Lena frowned.

“You’re not Greek?” Lena asked. “What’s a Roman doing here?” She questioned. She had come in contact with some Roman halfbloods. A few joined the Titan army, but most were Greek. She had a little knowledge of the sister school to Demos on the West Coast, but the Roman halfbloods were more secretive and distrustful, especially of their Greek counterparts. The halfblood shrugged.

“This war affects us all. We fight on the West Coast to find a way to assault Orthys. But the Senate saw fit to at least send someone.” She said. Lena nodded slowly. She knew of the Roman campaign to breach the walls of Mount Orthys, but Kronos and the other Titans never saw them as a real threat.

“And you are?” She questioned.

“Samantha Arias, daughter of Janus, at your service.” She said jokingly. “You can call me Sam.” Lena nodded curtly.

“Lena Luthor. Though I’m sure you already knew that.” She said, somewhat bitterly. Sam just nodded.

“I think everyone in our world knows who you are now Lena.” She replied.

“And yet you don’t want to rip me limb from limb like everyone in there?” She said, nodding towards the bunker. Sam shook her head.

“No. It’s not personal for me like it is for them. We may have fought on different sides, but I respect you.” Sam said. Lena looked surprised, raising an eyebrow. Sam just shrugged. “The Greeks here,” Sam said with a little disgust in her voice, “They’re the most undisciplined fighting force I think I’ve ever seen.” She continued. “I may have fought against the Titan army, but in doing so, I’ve seen how well trained they are. At least the halfbloods. There’s only so much you can do with most monsters.” She added.

“Kronos and the others didn’t accept failure.” Lena supplied. Sam nodded.

“I’d imagine not. The Legion is not so different. We may not punish by death, but there are some things worse.” Sam said a little darkly. Lena nodded in agreement. That, they could both agree on. Lena heard another set of footsteps approach, looking up to see Kara.

“Lena, I see you’ve met Sam,” Kara said, nodding at the Roman halfblood. “I managed to let you into the war council to help. Though everyone except James and myself are kind of on edge about it.” Kara said apologetically. Lena sighed, but nodded. She had expected nothing less.

“I’m surprised they let me be involved at all. I expected to be put under house arrest and just answer any and all questions.” Lena said with a shrug, looking at Sam.

“Well,” Kara said, fidgeting a little. “They don’t want you to be involved with planning the next steps. Not yet at least.” She added hastily. “I tried to convince them…” Kara said, but Lena cut her off, raising her hand.

“I understand Kara. I would do the same if I were in their position.” Lena supplied, trying to soothe Kara’s obvious guilt. “Let’s just go and get this over with.” She said. Kara looked to Sam.

“They’d probably want you there as well, Sam. Alex trusts you. Maybe you can help keep her calm.” Kara said. Sam shrugged, nodding and getting up off the boulder.

“Worth a shot I suppose,” Sam said, offering her hand to Lena, who took it and pulled herself up.

III.

Kara opened the door to the council room, Lena and Sam filing in after her. All eyes were suddenly on Lena and the halftitan fought to keep her head held high. The distrust in the room was apparent. Alex’s eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of Lena but softened a bit as Sam walked in after. Lena also noted J’onn’s hostile gaze, the son of Ares clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Mon-El, Winn, and Maggie all had a distrustful look on their faces, but nowhere near as hostile as Alex or J’onn. James shot Lena an apologetic look as Kara sat down. Lena and Sam stood awkwardly.

“You’re here because Kara vouches for you. I hope she hasn’t put her faith in the wrong person.” Alex started. Kara shot her sister a critical gaze which she pointedly ignored, keeping her eyes trained on Lena. She stared back, unwilling to break their gaze.

“Whatever problems you have with me Alex will have to wait until after the Titans aren’t preparing to dump an army on your doorstep.” Lena hissed back. Sam subtly nudged Lena’s arm, trying to calm her down. Lena closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “You asked me here to tell you what I know.” She said, starting to pace the room, around the circular table where all the halfbloods sat. Sam stepped aside to give Lena the floor.

“What they want is simple. You all know this. They want the destruction of Olympus.” Lena said. “You’ll need a better trained army and divine help if you want to win.”

“Why?” Mon-El questioned. Lena fought to roll her eyes.

“Frankly, your army has always been considered a joke to ours Mon-El.” She said. She quickly continued before anyone had the chance to protest. “You’re trained in strategy and theory at Demos. Even I knew this. Sparring, book study and practice fights against classmates. It doesn’t prepare you to actually fight for your life. The Titans, if you can’t survive training, you’re dead. It is a fight for survival there. I’m sure Sam can attest to the idea that you need combat training.” She said, looking to Sam, who nodded in agreement. “The divine help. Well, that was the secret. For the final assault on Olympus, Kronos and his brothers intend on joining the fight themselves. They wish to assault and destroy Olympus, taking the throne from Zeus personally.” She revealed. J’onn frowned, deeply troubled.

“How exactly do we fight immortals?” Winn asked cautiously.

“As I said, you convince the Gods to get involved themselves,” Lena replied. “The Gods are more powerful than the Titans, just as a matter of fact. Kronos and his brothers are only five. The Gods are many more. And in raw powers, the Gods are stronger.” Lena said. “That was the reason Kronos ate his children, he feared they would one day become stronger than him. Not to mention the Titans had a portion of their powers siphoned away when they were let out of Tartarus.”

“Not to mention, with your defection, they no longer have a ground commander,” James added. Lena nodded in agreement.

“It will take them some time to train another if that is what they choose to do. Though if I had to guess, I’d assume my father will personally take my place.” Lena added, a dark look crossing her face.

“This all seems rather far-fetched,” Alex said doubtfully. Lena opened her mouth to protest, but Sam jumped in.

“Alex, trust me on this. It’s not. It all seems rather strategically sound. This war is, largely, about revenge. The Titans want what they once had. What Zeus took from them. It’s clear they would want to join the fray. Especially if the Gods intend to stay up on Olympus. The Titans can slaughter what is left of the halfblood army and the Titan’s combined power, plus their army would be enough to overwhelm the Gods.” Sam said. “It is imperative that we take this time to prepare for the battle to come.”

Alex looked from Sam, over to Lena, then back to Sam. She was highly distrustful of Lena. How could she not be? But she had struck a tentative friendship with the Roman halfblood and knew that Sam knew what she was talking about, having beaten back every single halfblood in the room, including Kara. She respected Sam’s training, discipline and drive. So she slowly nodded.

She stood, looking at Lena. “We’ll accept your help. For now.” She said. Kara opened her mouth to protest, but both Lena and Alex shot her a look and she settled back down. Alex walked over to Lena, looking down at her. “But let’s get one thing clear right now. I will never trust you again. Not after what you did to my sister.” She said protectively. Lena didn’t back down, standing her ground against Alex, though she said nothing to rebut the statement. She knew that she had caused Kara two years of pain and anguish over her choices. Alex stepped back, stalking out of the room.

“I suppose we can take a break for now. This is a lot of digest.” J’onn said, also getting up and leaving. The room filling with an awkward aura after Alex’s strong condemnation and departure. Maggie gave Lena what the halftitan thought was a look of remorse before following her wife without a word. Mon-El got up, approaching Lena.

“I don’t know what to make of you yet.” He said. “But I’m sure you have a lot of cool new moves to show us.” He added, leaving before Lena could reply. Winn also followed him out, pointedly avoiding Lena’s gaze. That left James, Kara and Sam left in the room with Lena.

“You know I’m not doing this for the Gods,” Lena said, finishing what she wanted to have made clear before everyone disappeared. “The Titans are evil. I know that. To be honest, I’ve known that since day one.” She lamented, sitting down in the chair that Winn had once occupied. “But they did have a point.” She repeated from earlier. “The Gods will always see me as a threat. Nothing but a child of the Titans. A liability. That once I have outlived my usefulness, they’d be more than happy to get rid of.”

“But you didn’t choose that.” Kara insisted. “We can make my father and the others see sense. That you’ve changed!” She said. Lena chuckled.

“That might be true Kara, but I’ve done some terrible things. Things that I don’t deserve forgiveness for.” She said bitterly, memories threatening to bubble up. “Things that I’ve done against Olympus.” She snorted. “I’m doing this to make up for what I’ve done. Not for redemption in the eyes of the Gods. Not that they’d ever grant me that if I wanted.”

“We all deserve a second chance.” James cut in. Lena looked at him.

“Do we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as continuity goes with Sam, because she hadn't been introduced as a character in canon when I wrote the other two parts, but turned into a big part of S3, I wanted to include her somehow. She hasn't been hanging around Demos for very long. Just long enough to strike something of a respectful friendship with a couple of the characters, including Alex. 
> 
> So there's a lot of self-loathing and doubt on Lena's end. Given her character and priorities, I think it's at least a little justified. Lena's always been a pragmatic character with self-preservation ever present in the forefront of her mind. At the time, siding with the Titans was what she thought was best for her own survival, as well as her friends. Now, after two and a half years (give or take) of life with the Titans, she realizes that was a mistake. But she burnt so many bridges that she's caught in limbo between the two sides. With James and Kara really being the only two who have a shred of trust in her.


	3. Defection II

I.

“We should talk.” Lena murmured. Kara nodded in agreement, gesturing at the open door that Alex had stormed out of. Lena stepped out into the bunker, Kara close on her heels.

“We can talk in my room.” Kara said, walking in front of Lena, trusting the half titan to follow her. Lena kept close to Kara as they navigated the various hallways of their base of operations. As they proceeded to Kara’s room, they passed multiple injured halfbloods. None of loathful and distrustful looks were lost on Lena. She expected nothing less from them, but she struggled to not hang her head in shame and slink away. Rather, she pointedly ignored the looks, keeping her own eyes trained on Kara’s back, following her until they reached a hallway of doors. Kara walked over to the second one on the right, opening the door and allowing Lena into the room before following her and shutting the door behind them.

“They’ll get over it.” Kara tried the minute they were alone. Lena snorted.

“So you noticed?” She asked. Kara rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, nodding.

“You’re here to help. They’ll learn that with time.” Kara said, sitting down on her bed. Lena, instead, started pacing back and forth.

“You really think that?” She questioned. She knew Kara had good intentions, but for all Kara’s earnest desire to help everyone, she was incredibly naive. It was something that almost endeared Lena to her if it wasn’t so frustrating. “Because I can’t believe that.” She continued. Kara tried to interject but Lena continued. “I’m not here to prove anything to anyone, except maybe you. But I’ve done so much to them, their homes, their families. I’m sure there are kids out there that I’ve hurt or even killed their family members, siblings.” Lena lamented. “Scarred enough of them to last several lifetimes. They’re right to distrust me. I’m honestly unsure of why you trust me still.” Lena admitted. She appreciated that Kara still did, but she believed that somewhere, it was only because Kara had feelings for her.  

“You’re not inherently a bad person. You’re a person that’s done bad things. Who hasn’t in their lifetime?” Kara questioned. Lena rolled her eyes. “You did what you thought was right at the time.”

“Is that all there is to the story though Kara?” Lena turned to face the halfblood sitting on the bed. “My poor choices accelerated a war to this point. I know that. Alex is right to hate me.” Lena said. “My choices tore families apart, even you. You’re at odds with Alex, over me!” Lena insisted. “I know how close you two are, you shouldn’t have to choose between me and her.” Lena said. “And I didn’t fare all that well either.” Kara looked up at Lena questioningly. Lena sighed, pressing on her belt, her armor folding into the belt itself. Kara averted her eyes with a blush as Lena stood before her in a sports bra and tight shorts.

She heard the metal of Lena’s armor retracting stop clinking, she looked back up, her eyes zeroing in on a number of deep set scarring across Lena’s abdomen and across her chest. “Lena…” Kara said slowly. The half titan slowly turned, showing the excessive scarring across her back. They were all mostly healed but told a sad tale of the last few years. One that largely went unspoken between the two. Kara stood up. “Can I…?” She trailed off, her question unasked but understood. Lena nodded slightly as Kara traced one of the scars on Lena’s back gently, the demititan shivering a little at the contact, her back flexing a little. “You’re in a better place now. No one will do this to you again.” Kara mumbled, her gaze still fixated on Lena’s scarring.

“Is it better? Or just different.” She scoffed, her back still turned to Kara. “Instead of physical abuse, I’m just subject to verbal abuse from a den of snakes that hate my guts. Not that I blame them.” Lena said, stepping away from Kara. “Do you have some clothes I can borrow? This was kind of an impulsive decision?” Lena asked cheekily, trying to lighten a mood a little. Kara nodded, padding over to a set of drawers and pulling out a white tank top and some black sweatpants for Lena. She accepted them gratefully, pulling them on as Kara sat back down on the bed.

“I’ll fight anyone who lays a finger on you again, including Alex. Don’t blame yourself for our disagreements. I love my sister. And she loves me. That’s never going to change, despite what you think.” Kara reassured Lena. At the rather frank admission at the front of the sentence, Lena laughed, genuinely. Kara smiled to herself, being able to see Lena, even in a moment, as carefree as she had ever seen her. “It’s nice to see you laugh.” She remarked.

Lena blushed slightly, but before she could respond, there was a knock at Kara’s door. “Kara? Alex sent me to find you, we have a problem.”

II.

Kara, along with Lena who was reluctant to leave the room but did so at Kara’s insistence, followed the messenger to the front of the bunker. There was a large commotion at the door, but Kara pushed her way through to see her sister, along with the rest of their war council, weapons drawn at pointing at their newcomer who had her hands up, a smirk on her face as she faced almost certain death.

“Roulette,” Lena said, stepping forward. Alex gave Lena a suspicious side-eye. Lena’s gaze fell on her halfblooded friend with some suspicion herself. Roulette was still in her light armor, no doubt daggers littering her person. James stepped forward, his sword drawn and pointed at their intruder.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Following my commander.” She said slyly. Lena just rolled her eyes. “Kara, tell everyone to stand down. Please.” She added.

“Lena… are you sure that’s a good idea?” Kara asked warily. “She is…” But Lena cut her off.

“Kara, please. She won’t hurt anyone while I’m here.” Lena said, some bite in her voice directed at Roulette who just continued to cheekily grin at Lena.

“Do as she says,” Kara said, though cautiously. James lowered his sword as did Mon-El.

“You can’t be serious.” Alex protested, her spear still pointed at Roulette. “She’s a known captain in the Titan army. We can’t trust her.” The unspoken ‘like we can’t trust Lena’ hung in the air but no one commented.

“Question me all you want, I have nothing to hide.” Roulette interjected. Alex’s attention snapped to Roulette, walking forward, her spear close to Roulette’s person.

“How did you find us? And get past our protection?” Alex hissed aggressively. Everyone nodded in agreement. The halfblood shouldn’t have been able to breach their protections. Everyone was in danger if they weren’t as infallible as they thought.

“I’m a daughter of Hermes.” Roulette said with a shrug. Alex’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s not an answer,” Alex said through gritted teeth.

“Your pretty little base is safe from invasion if that’s what you’re scared of.” Roulette said, her hands still in their air but her voice clearly bored with the line of questioning. “None of the halfbloods are smart enough to figure out how to breach it and it’s far below the Titan’s priority list.” Lena nodded in agreement. There was a reason Roulette had risen quickly through the ranks, and it wasn’t because of any outside help. She was capable of things as a child of Hermes that few others were, among the list of skills was tracking people down like a bloodhound. A trait often attributed to Artemis’ hunters.

“Roulette has always been loyal to me, not to anyone else,” Lena said, turning to everyone else. “She’s not a threat to your operation.” She continued. Maggie frowned.

“This seems rather… convenient.” She said. “The timing too perfect.” She voiced her suspicions. She wanted in her heart to believe Lena was on their side, but with this new development and Lena’s brazen acceptance of Roulette, despite not knowing how she found them in the first place seemed rather suspect. “We accept you back into our organization,” She said. Alex shot her a look. “Some of us under protest.” She quickly added, “and then your number two shows up? You can’t honestly tell us that there isn’t something else going on.” Maggie said. Alex nodded furiously in agreement, the rest of the group looking like their were inclined to agree with Maggie’s argument, even Kara.

“I swear, I had no idea she was planning on defecting.” Lena defended, though she clearly understood where Maggie was coming from. She would have thought the exact same thing if roles were reversed.

“I didn’t tell her. I didn’t even know she was planning on joining you. I don’t think she even knew herself until it was happening. But when I saw her running away with Kara, I thought to follow her.” Roulette added. “My loyalty has been to Lena since we first met, that’s not going to change.” The assassin said, glancing at Lena who just rolled her eyes.

“That doesn’t mean we should just accept you here as well.” Winn protested. James nodded hesitantly in agreement. He too wanted to believe in Lena, but Roulette was a step too far. He had seen how she brutally murdered halfbloods. Even if she was sincere in her motives, her methods of war were far too gruesome for him to support. Where Lena, even Sam, were scarily efficient and competent in the art of war, Roulette was vicious. She played with her victims.  

Surprisingly, it was Mon-El who spoke in her defense. “We don’t really have another choice.” He said quietly. “She found us, it is much better for us to keep her here instead of risk her running back to the Titans because we rejected her.” He reasoned. “Besides, isn’t this the same reason we accepted Lena?” He asked the others. “As Alex pointed out, she’s a Titan Captain, her presence her alone works in our favor. And we can keep an eye on her. Her and Lena aren’t to spend any time together unaccompanied.” He stipulated. “But she’s a good fighter, we can all acknowledge that, if not a little ruthless.” He added as Roulette smirked. He looked to Alex as she was their de facto leader and her approval was key.

Alex narrowed her eyes. She had been backed into a corner here. To reject Roulette would also lend to the idea they were wrong about accepting Lena back, and while Alex would have loved to boot both of them out their base immediately, Mon-El had a point. To throw one or both of them across the line would increase the chances they would go back to the Titans and the halfbloods could really not afford that. She lowered her spear slightly.

“Fine.” She relented. “But I will personally be keeping a close eye on you,” Alex said in Roulette’s direction.

“I’d expect nothing less.” Roulette said. Lena raised an eyebrow, nodding at where she knew one of Roulette’s hidden daggers was concealed, her meaning well understood by her friend. Roulette sighed dramatically, grabbing it and holding the handle towards Alex.

“All of them,” Lena said sternly. Roulette rolled her eyes, dropping the dagger on the ground, pulling out no less than ten knives from various places, each falling to the ground.

“Happy?” She asked. Lena nodded slowly. She looked at Alex, who nodded curtly to Lena and turned to walk back into the base, Maggie close on her heels. Lena made to follow the two, but Roulette surged forward, throwing a friendly arm around Lena’s shoulder. Lena gave her a dirty side-eye, but allowed the contact, the two walking side by side.

“Hey commander!” She said earnestly.

“Don’t call me that.” Lena hissed. Roulette shrugged. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes briefly resting on Kara, noting that the rest of the group out of earshot.

“So I see you took my advice and followed your heart.” She teased. Lena rolled her eyes.

“Remind me why I’m friends with you.”

III.

Kara watched the two walk into the base, her fists clenched tightly and standing stiffly as she watched the familiarity that Roulette had with Lena. James put a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “What do you think?” He asked as Kara was notably quiet during the exchange, not eager to step in and stand up for one side or the other. Kara gazed at the retreating forms of Lena and Roulette.

“I…” She started but sighed. “I wish I could be that person for Lena. But it’s like we’re strangers. I hardly recognize the person she is. To be honest, I don’t know if I recognize myself anymore. I know it has been three years, but I think part of me was holding out hope that just getting her out of that situation that things would go back to the way things were, but they won’t will they?” She asked. James shook his head. “I couldn’t realistically think Lena wouldn’t make friends while she was gone. She barely had anyone while she was still with us. Just our group.” Kara admitted. “I want to fool myself into the idea that they’re not that close and it’s just a relationship of respect but it’s more than that,” Kara added. “We all knew Roulette dragged Lena off the battlefield when Alex tried to kill her. There’s more to the story than just hierarchical respect.”

“Things are different than they were,” James said. “No one knows that better than her.” He said, watching Lena turn a corner into the base with Roulette. “But I don’t think everything from the past is gone or should be forgotten.” He said.

“At least she’s back where she belongs and no one has challenged her to a duel yet.” Kara joked. James chuckled, rubbing Kara’s shoulder.

“I think everyone here knows that Lena could kick our collective asses if she wanted to.” He replied. “Except you. Maybe Sam. Now that would be an impressive fight.” He said. Kara nodded in agreement. Lena was strong, she was half a Titan after all. But Sam had training that none of the Greeks could match. And she was unique in her fighting style, using her godly powers to her advantage to catch her opponent off guard and kick them while they were disoriented. Not to mention Sam, like Kara, was abnormally strong. Kara had no idea where it came from, but Sam had landed a few punches on Kara when they had done from unarmed sparring and Kara came away with more than a few nasty bruises.

“It would. But I hope Sam’s expertise and training and Lena’s past with the Titans is enough to win this war.” She murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been some chatter about Lena from the last couple chapters. I'm all for people leveling constructive criticism and sharing their opinions of the story. I love hearing people's thoughts. That being said, what is running through my head personally is largely from canon. Take, for example, Lena's use of kryptonite. There was a significant amount of fandom discussion of the appropriateness of that and subsequently Kara's reaction, and I think where I draw my inspiration from is a thought by, I think motorcyclegirlfriends, that Lena in canon does have a lot of self-righteous "I'm never wrong" energy, even if she clearly is in the wrong. Look at the brief 1-minute talk about gun control between Lena and James. The alien detection device. As far as intended audience reception to those two things and what they represent, her opinions on those two things are clearly "wrong." There's a lot in Lena's energy of "I'll own up to my mistakes if I personally feel bad/responsible for them" but if she thinks she's right and others don't, she will defend her actions to the end of time. And hardly ever give an inch of leeway to the other person/people. 
> 
> Objectively, Lena's done horrible things (in the story) and she acknowledges that her actions themselves are bad. But she rationalizes that she did what was necessary, it doesn't help that the one person she trusts in the group backs up her thought process. She's remorseful for her actions themselves, but not for the reasons and is apparently content to be hated by everyone if it means she'll eventually have a chance to live freely again. She doesn't expect forgiveness or trust from anyone and she's even surprised by Kara but that's another thing completely. She expects that separate and apart from trust, that they will be pragmatic (maybe this is the flaw in her thinking) that even if they don't trust her, she has enough to provide to them that their desire to win the war will outshine the distrust of her personally. Kind of like a court case where the prosecution has a plea deal with someone and they become a witness against the defense. They're inherently untrustworthy because they're a criminal themselves, but in an attempt to get less jail time, they'll tell the truth on the stand. And a jury has to weigh if they want to believe the witness or not. So she's not trying to find forgiveness or trust. That may or may not change as time goes on, but that's her thought process at the current time.
> 
> I love Lena, but sometimes I think the fandom ignores parts of her character because we've put her so high up on a pedestal. I just want to explore some of the less talked about or admired parts of her character that I think are there, amplified here as they are. She's flawed, as all good characters should be. 
> 
> These are just my opinions on my matter and love hearing everyone else's opinions of Lena, both in canon and this story, and everyone raises good points of flaws of Lena's character and I read and consider everyone's opinions. If anything, they point out flaws in my writing and I'm always interested in getting better. 
> 
> Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter will be more Kara centric, so we can get some insight into her character as well. She's starting to pull herself out of this romanticized world she had been stuck in for a long time. Also, I know "She's a daughter of Hermes" is lazy writing, but I'm a lazy writer sometimes. 
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	4. Olympus

I.

Kara decided to take some time to herself. She hadn’t really had a peaceful moment since the battle and needed some time alone. To gather her thoughts and feelings about the way the last twenty-four hours had unfolded. So she went to her room, hoping that someone, preferably James or Sam, would get Roulette and Lena settled in. 

She flopped on her bed, letting out a loud sigh. That was not how she expected her day to go. Fighting Lena. Defeating Lena for all intents and purposes. Being attacked by a Titan. Being saved by Lena. Having Lena defect. Having Roulette defect. It did throw her for a loop. She had held onto some sort of hope that there was more to Lena’s story than what it looked like. Dared to hope that there was some sort of justification. But hearing the words come out of Lena’s mouth made it sound more like yes she made bad choices. And she should be held accountable for them. 

Which Kara couldn’t necessarily say she didn’t agree with. What she didn’t agree with was that Lena wasn’t deserving of forgiveness. It would take time. For some, like Alex, she may never get it. But it was going to be up to Kara and James to convince Lena that she deserved it. And perhaps it would be good for her. Cathartic perhaps. To mend the broken bridges, if it were possible. 

Kara heard a knock on her door. She groaned to herself before getting up and opening the door to reveal a serious looking J’onn. 

“Has something happened?” Kara asked, a million possibilities running through her head. J’onn shook his head. 

“Nothing like you’re thinking I’m sure.” He said, a little amused. “The Gods have summoned you to Olympus.” He said grimly. Kara visibly deflated and groaned. J’onn chuckled. “It’s probably better you don’t keep them waiting.” Kara nodded once as J’onn stepped aside to let her out of her room. She grabbed her sword from the rack on the wall, heading to their gateway. 

In setting up their bunker, they needed to make sure there was a way for halfbloods to be summoned to Olympus should they lose the school. The Gods of Olympus had approved for a gate to be created that would only become active should the school be compromised and that gateway destroyed. 

“Here goes nothing,” Kara said to herself before stepping through.

II.

Kara felt a strange and slightly uncomfortable sensation in her stomach as she was whisked away to Olympus, being deposited outside the Olympian Council building. She gathered her wits, taking a deep breath and entering the building. Inside, she was met with the sound of arguing. “We should strike now!” She thought she heard Ares say. 

“We cannot. You know that Ares.” She heard her father reply. She cleared her throat as she stepped into view of the Gods. All eyes were suddenly on her and she had the urge to go hide in her room, but instead walked into the middle of the circle of thrones, facing Zeus. He narrowed his eyes at her. 

“Kara.” He said a little icily. 

“Father.” She said, her eyes downcast at the floor. 

“I’m sure you know why you’re here.” He said questioningly. Kara just shook her head. She had some idea but wanted to force him to say it. 

“I think we deserve some explanation as to why Lena Luthor is not dead, and in fact is residing at your base.” He said. Kara could easily detect the anger in his voice. 

“I…” She started before he cut her off again.

“What were you thinking Kara?” He raised his voice at her. She refused to look him in the eyes. “That girl is dangerous. Your job was to kill her, defeat her if you could not do that. But instead, I hear that you defeated her, but could not kill her. Or at least incapacitate her. Instead, you allow her into your base of operations.” He said angrily. Kara looked up, but not at him, rather to gauge the other Gods reactions. Most had a surprisingly neutral facial expression. Though a few stood out. Aphrodite was lounging back on her throne, clearly not paying much attention to Zeus. Athena was looking at Kara in concern. And Apollo wasn’t even looking at her, rather sending daggers at Zeus. “She’s a Titan, Kara!” She heard him say. 

“She’s also half human! Isn’t our job to protect humans from our world?” Kara heard herself say. “She deserves a chance to do the right thing. She’s an asset to us. She has knowledge of the Titans plans and capabilities that our spies have no chance of ever getting. Her mere presence with us weakens the Titans. I’m sorry that you don’t see things my way, but when you made me your commander, you trusted my judgment. I made the best choice I believed I could make at the time. She’s more useful to us alive than dead!” Kara exploded at her father. Her pent-up frustration, confusion, and conflict at the situation finally bubbling over. Though probably not at the most opportune moment as she watched her father’s face turn nearly purple in anger at her outburst.

“She may have a point, Zeus.” She heard Athena jump in and a grunt of agreement from Ares. “Though I am worried you are letting your personal feelings for the girl cloud your judgment Kara.” She turned to Athena, nodding in acknowledgment of her concern. 

“If I…” She turned to see Apollo open his mouth but quickly shut down by Zeus. 

“You are barred from weighing in on this, Apollo.” He said with some bite to his voice, the sun god silencing himself. He then turned to Kara. “You are dismissed until someone comes to fetch you. It seems there is some more discussion to be had.” Kara nodded, bowing respectfully before stalking out of the council chamber. 

III.

Kara sat outside the council building on a marble bench, her sword lying on the flat surface beside her. Her face was in her hands as she pondered what was to come. It was only a matter of time before the Titans struck a final attack on Olympus. And they were far from ready. Everyone on their council knew that their troops weren’t ready to fight a large scale battle like that. Not even close. The best hope they had was Sam and Lena being able to whip everyone into a fighting force that worked with teamwork and precision instead of the chaotic, every man for himself, nature they had currently. 

And then her thoughts rounded back to Lena. She remembered the first day the two met. She had been immediately interested in the girl. She seemed shy, slightly timid even. Her only friend at the time being Maggie and Kara had been bugging her sister’s then girlfriend to bring her around. And when she finally did, the two developed a rather close friendship. Though she knew they both had been tiptoeing around something more for a while. 

And when Lena had been claimed by Apollo, Lena had confided in Kara that for the first time, in perhaps ever, she felt like she belonged somewhere. Until they all found out about her true lineage. Kara truly had believed that your parents didn’t make you who you were. And she still believed Lena thought that too. But she did have to, maybe begrudgingly, agree with Alex, that Lena had done a good job of proving everyone else right about her. 

Even Lena’s own words. They forced Kara to evaluate what now seemed like a fantasy world she was living in. She still hoped against hope that there was a way for Lena to do the right thing. But if Lena didn’t want to even try to mend those bridges, could Kara even justify her own actions? Lena had the right to make her own decisions. Even if Kara herself didn’t agree with them. Kara groaned, sitting back on the bench head back looking at the sky above them, closing her eyes. 

“The world is complicated, is it not?” She heard a feminine voice beside her. Her eyes opened and she turned her head to see Aphrodite sitting next to her, an amused look on her face. Kara scrambled to sit upright, a blush on her face. The goddess just chuckled. “Relax Kara.” She said kindly. 

“More complicated than I could have imagined.” Kara groaned. Aphrodite nodded. 

“Your father is… not a bad god. He is just stubborn. He does have everyone best interests at heart. But growing up as he did, learning to be overly cautious and paranoid about everyone and everything has taken its toll. I think some of that stubbornness rubbed off on you. Though I will say you are more like your mother than your father.” She said, putting a hand on Kara’s shoulder. 

“Am I?” She asked. The goddess chuckled, nodding. 

“You have a stubborn streak like your father, but your mother was the type of woman who wanted to see the good in everyone, even the king of the Gods.” She said with a smile. “Your heart won’t lead you astray Kara. But I will warn you to temper your heart with your head. Many a war started over inflamed passions without the wisdom that Athena ushers in.” She warned. Kara nodded in understanding. 

“I understand.” She said. Aphrodite gave Kara a small smile. 

“I know you do. Now, the council has finished deliberating and Zeus requests your presence once more.” She said. Kara nodded, getting up and picking up her sword from beside her, following Aphrodite back into the council chamber.

IV.

“What?” Kara questioned. Zeus’s eyes narrowed at his daughter for her frank and disrespectful attitude. However, Hera placed a calming hand on her husband’s arm. She may have little love for his halfblood children, but even she could set aside her grievances for the time being. 

“I believe you heard me daughter. We will allow Lena Luthor to remain where she is and help us win this war. If you believe that is the best course of action, we will agree. For now. However, you will be held accountable for her actions. This was your choice. You chose to stake your reputation on this halftitan. And another betrayal from her will also be your own undoing.” He said. Kara frowned but kept her temper in check.

“I understand.” She said with a nod. “That is acceptable.” She said through gritted teeth. 

“It goes without saying that once this war is over, however, she will stand before the Gods to stand trial for her crimes.” He continued. Kara hesitated, looking around the room. Most of the gods seemed to agree with Zeus, however, Apollo looked a little ill from the declaration. 

“If that is a part of the terms, she is likely to not even offer help.” Kara tried. “Having her stand trial before the Gods is possibly one of her greatest fears. She may choose to run given the choice.” She tried. Zeus scoffed. 

“She knows that would be a suicide attempt. The Titans are unlikely to show her mercy. And if she runs, our priority would be hunting her down. No. She will not run. She will comply with these terms or we will force her to stand trial now.” He said firmly. Kara was about the protest, but he continued. “Her help during the impending battle may grant her leniency, depending on how much of an asset she is. You have my word.” He said. Kara raised on eyebrow. 

“Swear on the River Styx.” She insisted. He hesitated, but seeing the fire in her eyes, he nodded. 

“I swear on the River Styx that Lena Luthor will receive a fair hearing and her actions for the remainder of the war will not be forgotten.” He said, though clearly reluctant. Kara narrowed her eyes at her father. She did not like the tone he struck during his declaration. She may have been able to advocate the best course of action she could for the moment, but she was also beginning to think Lena had a point. It seemed like the Gods, or at least her own father had made up his mind about the halftitan and nothing short of backing him into a corner would change his mind.

V.

Kara returned to the bunker, her sword at her side. She quickly sought out J’onn who was pouring over maps in their own council room. “We need to call a meeting.” She said with some urgency. “Sam and Lena should be here as well. It involves them.” She said. He nodded, summoning a young Hermes halfblood to gather the council. 

Before long, everyone was gathered in the room, each of them sitting in their respective seats, Lena and Sam leaning against a wall. Lena seemed to have gotten situated, looking slightly more at ease. She had showered by the looks of it, still wearing Kara’s clothes. “What was so urgent?” Maggie asked. 

“My father was… less than happy with my decisions.” Kara said. She caught Lena’s look of concern from the corner of her eye but her attention was mostly focused on Alex. 

“He’s not the only one.” She retorted. Kara frowned but ignored her sister. 

“He has agreed to allow Lena to help us.” She said carefully, wanting to ease Lena into the decision. The demititan just rolled her eyes. 

“How gracious of him.” She said sarcastically. Sam elbowed Lena in the ribs. She glared at Sam but just folded her arms. 

“However, he… uh.. Insists that Lena stand trial before the Gods when this is over.” She said quietly. She shot a glance at Lena who looked furious, like she wanted to attack someone then and there. Sam grabbed hold of her shoulder to try to calm her down but Kara could see the flickering red, yellow and orange cycle through her eyes. 

“Not the time or place to lose your temper,” Sam whispered in Lena’s ear. Lena just shrugged off Sam’s hand, storming out of the council room and leaving everyone in silence. Kara looked at everyone briefly. She quickly got out of her seat. 

“Excuse me.” She said quickly before following after Lena, hoping that she could calm the halftitan down before she did anything rash. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter but honestly I've been having awful writer's block. I've been feeling a little... icy perhaps is the best word, towards Kara/Supergirl in canon as of late. So it's been a little bit of a struggle to write her properly without my own biases getting in the way. I'm trying to work through it. 
> 
> Anyway, a little peak into Kara's brain. And thought process.


	5. Reconciliation

I.

Kara rushed after a furious Lena Luthor, leaving the council room behind. The halftitan parted the busy hallways like a shark, none of the halfbloods wanting to get in the way of the clearly angry woman. Kara followed her, giving apologetic looks to everyone she passed. She stayed on Lena’s tail until the demititan disappeared into what Kara assumed was her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

She stopped outside the door, hesitant to knock. She didn’t want to leave Lena to fume alone, but she wasn’t sure she should intrude on a clearly angry halftitan. Kara wasn’t afraid of Lena, but afraid of where a conversation would leave them. But she owed it to Lena, and herself as well, to have that conversation. So after a couple minutes, she took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door.

She waited, but she was met with silence. Kara closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the door, willing Lena to answer her. She stayed like that for a couple minutes before she heard Lena from inside. “It’s open.”

Kara gulped in anticipation, reaching for the handle and opening the door slowly. She stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She turned to see Lena sitting on her bed, legs crossed and eyes closed. Her breaths were slow and deep. She had taken her tank top off, leaving her in a pair of sweatpants and her black sports bra. The top was thrown on the bed beside her. The halftitan was clearly meditating or something similar. She stood awkwardly by the door, looking around the room.

Lena had seemingly settled in quickly. Her belt was hung up on a hook on the wall. Her swords were resting on one of the weapon racks that hung from the same wall. Her daggers had apparently been returned to her as they were organized perfectly on the desk by size and length. And as she had come to them with nothing more than her armor and weapons, the rest of the room was rather bare. Save for the woman herself sitting on her bed, legs crossed, hands on her lap, breathing slowly.

“Lena I…” She started but Lena cut her off.

“You know I’m not angry at you, right?” She asked, opening her eyes. Kara was caught staring at the flickering fire in Lena’s eyes. It had been years since Kara had seen Lena’s greenish blue eyes for more than a few seconds. Kara bit her lip, nodding and sitting in the chair a few feet away from Lena, wanting to give her as much space as was possible in the somewhat small room.

“I wasn’t sure, to be honest. You’re very hard to read nowadays.” Kara replied honestly. Lena sighed, uncrossing her legs and sitting back on the bed, against the wall.

“Two years and some odd months apart can do that.” She said with a shrug.

“I had no choice.” Kara started. Lena sighed, nodding in understanding.

“I know. I understand that. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it. I’m sorry for blowing up earlier. I’ve found my temper much more difficult to control as of late.” She admitted. “It’s probably a good thing Sam was there to keep me from jumping someone. I don’t think that would do myself any favors.” She said with a chuckle. Kara nodded slowly. “I do have half a mind to just skip out now.” She sighed. Kara opened her mouth, but Lena raised a hand to let her finish. “But I have nowhere else to go.” She continued. “I can’t survive on my own. Not if the Titans and Gods are going to come after me. And I’m assuming that I’d be the Gods priority if I left. I know that would be what I would do if roles were reversed.”

Kara nodded in confirmation. “They…” She started but then paused and started again. “I didn’t doubt you, that they see you as an asset, not a person. But it was different to actually hear the sentiment come out of my father’s mouth.” She admitted. Lena sighed, resting her head against the wall.

“The Gods and the Titans aren’t so different in that regard.” She said. “But I won’t run. I don’t want to let you down like that again.” She said quietly, so quietly that Kara almost missed it. Kara’s gaze softened a little. “I ran once. I won’t do it again. Make that mistake a second time.”

“It hurt, you know. A lot.” Kara replied. Lena just nodded, waiting for Kara to continue. “The years you were gone, they were hard. I don’t know how many times I laid awake at night, wishing that day had gone differently. I thought for a long time about the what ifs. What if you had stayed? What if I had been able to stop you from leaving? What if we had tried to rescue you instead of leaving you to the Titan’s mercy? And the list goes on. I’ve cried over you more in the last two years than I think I have ever cried in my life.” She said, almost angrily, finally getting all of her grievances off her chest, to the one person she wanted to tell. Lena, for her part, just listened. She did feel guilty for the pain she had caused Kara. And felt like that guilt may never go away. “And when we finally met again, to see how much you changed, I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe that there was some of the old you still in there. Just hiding. Dormant. And all we had to do was awaken it.” She said, sighing. “But it’s not that simple, is it?” She questioned. Lena shook her head. “I don’t want to brush those years off like they were okay. You and I both know they weren’t.” She paused. Lena sat silently, waiting.

“Things can’t just go back to the way they were. No matter how much either of us want them to.” She said, looking at Lena intensely. The halftitan, again, shook her head, agreeing with Kara’s words.

“I…” She started, but Kara raised a hand to signify she had more to say. Lena complied, shutting her mouth. Kara deserved to get it all off her chest before Lena said anything.

“You killed so many people. And hurt that many more.” She said, again looking to Lena for confirmation. The regret in Lena’s eyes told her everything she needed to know. “I… can’t understand fully what you went through. With them. But every time we heard, I couldn’t even sit in on those meetings. It hurt too much. To know what you were going through. But I just don't understand how...” She trailed off. "Those people died. At your hand." She said seriously. Lena leaned forward with a sigh.

“And I have no excuse for it. But the intel I’m sure you had was only a fraction of the story.” She said. Kara looked a little pained but Lena continued. “I know you don’t want to hear about it, but it’s important for you to understand.” She said, waiting. Kara nodded cautiously.

“Okay.” She whispered, her voice cracking. Lena sat on the edge of the bed, scooting closer to Kara. She took a breath, offering an outstretched wrist to Kara. Her eyes glowed a golden yellow as her powers lit up Hyperion’s mark on her wrist. An eye inscribed inside a sun. She refused to look at the mark herself, closing her eyes, but Kara’s eyes flicked down toward it, examining it carefully.

“It’s not just a mark. It’s a brand.” She said quietly, letting her powers fizzle out, the mark fading back into her skin. She opened her eyes again, looking at Kara. “A symbol of ownership. He gave it to me the day I first met him. He called it a gift. It was a curse.” She said sadly and bitterly. “You may have heard about the physical side of my father’s… training. But that was nothing compared to the emotional and mental… conditioning. That was a hundred times worse. I could handle the physical side. Wounds heal. Scars fade. Breaking me down to the bare bone and building me up again in his image? That was the hard part. He humiliated me in front of the other Titans. The monsters. The halfbloods. Trained me harder than any of the others. Pushed me past my breaking point and more.” She said. Kara looked concerned for Lena, but the halftitan didn’t notice. She had a faraway look in her fiery eyes. It was like she was in another world. And Kara stayed silent. As Lena had done for her.

“Countless times he did that. He wanted to strip me of half of who I was. Who I am. Destroy the human side of me. And I let him. At first, it was to protect you. Protect all of you. But over time, it became about protecting myself. I was selfish. Prideful even. I felt backed into a corner, but that didn’t mean I had to do what I did. I’m not as good as you Kara. I wasn’t willing to die to what I once believed in. That’s on me. No matter what my father did to me.” She said bitterly before looking up, coming back to the real world and looking at Kara. “I hate reliving my time with him. But it’s important for you to understand what keeping me here means, Kara. Continuing to engage with me. Befriend me again, even. I’m half the person I once was. It’s not an excuse for what I’ve done. But I would not blame you if you let me help you and left me to the mercy of the Gods. It’s no more than I deserve.” Kara opened her mouth to protest, but Lena wasn’t finished. “I have no intention of betraying you a second time. Not again. Nor doing anything to compromise your safety.” She assured Kara.

“I have no doubt of that. Your very presence here is a testament to that sentiment.” She replied. “I… I want to rebuild what we once had. Or try to.” She said. Lena frowned. “Not everyone will be okay with it, I know. And most of them will likely not forgive you. I know that as well. Not after everything. But I still want to try. I don’t want to forget what you’ve done. I don’t think you’d let me.” She said with a sad chuckle. Lena gave her a small, sad smile, nodding.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t. It does no one any good to forget the past. Move forward, sure. But forgetting it… We lose ourselves that way. I would know.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “I… Okay. But only a friendship. For now.” She added seeing the look on Kara’s face. “I still have feelings for you Kara, you know that. You… You were the one thing keeping me from fully losing myself. Keeping me from losing my humanity completely, even after I had left everything else behind. But it’s unfair for both of us. I don’t deserve you.” She said. “Not right now.” She added hastily after seeing Kara ready to argue. “I have a lot to make up for. To you. To everyone else. Even if I never earn their forgiveness. I’ve done enough to everyone here to last several lifetimes. It would probably take me several lifetimes to earn anything back. Least of all your heart, Kara.” She said, looking up at the halfblood. “I’m not here for forgiveness. No one owes me that. I’m here to right the wrongs I caused.” She said, in a rare show of vulnerability. She looked down at the ground, her arms crossed, resting on her knees.

“Okay,” Kara said slowly. She scooted her chair closer to Lena, grabbing her right hand. “I missed you. This you.” She said. “The you that cares about more than just yourself.” Kara looked at Lena, the scars that ran across her arms and legs. Her stomach and back. A reminder to Lena of her choices. And her past.

“I can’t promise you this will be easy. It won’t be.” Lena said, looking at Kara. “I’m not used to… working in a team like this anymore. I gave orders and expected them to be followed. Took orders and followed them. It’s not that way anymore. But I’ll do what I can to prepare you for what's to come. I owe you that.” She said. Kara nodded.

“We can rebuild the friendship that was broken. I do believe in that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this written yesterday but broke these two things into two different chapters. Posting this is to make up for the week without an update. 
> 
> I'm trying to steer the ship, so to speak, in the right direction with this chapter. Course correct I suppose. Give both characters an opportunity to explain themselves. Lena has to recognize that what she did was wrong, full stop. And Kara has to understand she can be angry. Deserves to be angry even. This conversation was a long time coming. And is important in going forward to how to tackle the upcoming battle. And I'm sure there will be more conversations like this before we're through.
> 
> It's been really complicated trying to get to this point, from a writing point of view. Not super happy with how we got here, but here we are. Hope it was satisfactory.


	6. Planning

I.

Kara was sitting in her seat, facing Alex as usual, James on her left. A couple of days had passed, giving everyone a chance to get settled into their new base and let head cool from the last couple of days. Lena continued to borrow Kara’s clothes, so she was clothed in one of Kara's shirts and sweatpants, and said halftitan was leaning against the wall, waiting for the last member of the council to arrive so that they could begin formulating a plan.

James and Kara had insisted, and J’onn had reluctantly agreed that Lena be allowed to be present for their planning sessions, if only because her intel would be of utmost importance going forward. The door swung open, almost hitting Lena in the face if her lightning quick reflexes hadn’t caught it before opening on top of her. Winn rushed into the room. “Sorry! Sorry I’m late. I got caught up in the workshop and…” He trailed off awkwardly as Lena pushed the door closed, raising an eyebrow. Winn gulped.

“Sorry, Lena.” He said quietly before slinking off to his seat, sitting down and avoiding eye contact with the demititan. Lena just rolled her eyes but stayed silent. Sam stood beside her, appraising the group in front of her. She knew that they, and the rest of the halfbloods, required a lot more training before they were ready to move forward. Otherwise, they’d get their asses handed to them, even with Lena and Roulette on their side and not the Titans'.

“Now that we’re all here,” J’onn said, pausing to give Winn a look who just sunk down in his chair, “we can begin. Lena?” He asked. She pushed herself off the wall, starting to pace one length of the circular table. It was very much a call back to her years with the Titans and giving them briefs but instead of coldness and a fear invoking aura, the room was filled with distrust, some open hostility and a small feeling of resilience and hope.

“The Titan army is vast, as you know. The amount of halfbloods that you have does outnumber what they have, even after sustaining losses, however, the Titan brothers supplemented their forces with monsters. And let's just say most monsters don’t have feelings of goodwill towards the Gods. You’re unlikely to be able to sway any of them to your side.” She started. “But monsters, while formidable in strength and power, are largely undisciplined. Even under the Titans. We used monsters as cannon fodder to clear the way for the more skilled halfbloods to take down the enemy once they were fatigued. Monsters are largely unable to adapt to their fighting environment. Many halfbloods are as well, but they have the capability to learn. Most monsters don’t.”

“So you’re saying we have to clear the Titan army of monsters and then fight our way through halfbloods?” Maggie questioned.

“Yes and no,” Lena replied. “While I assume the final assault on the gates of Olympus will unleash the full power of the Titan army, there’s more than just that. The Titan brothers themselves intend on joining the fray themselves. They see this as a symbolic battle. The fall of the gates of Olympus. They want history to remember that they were there and they were the ones to breached the kingdom of the Gods.”

“So how do you suggest fighting the Titans themselves?” Alex jumped in skeptically. Lena shrugged.

“Like I said to you on day one, you get the Gods to get off their asses and fight. They are more powerful than the Titans. There are more of them. The Titans are weakened from their full strength. All you have to do is convince them that the need for their help is imperative. That you are in dire need of their help. And your army needs help. Sam and I are in the best place training wise to do that.” She pitched. Alex sat back in her chair, mulling over the idea. Most of the room was looking to her as their de facto leader. J’onn was usually more of a mediator, though they all respected him as a leader as well.

Kara may have been appointed by the Gods, but her expertise was on the battlefield, not in the council room. She could inspire a full room of halfbloods to run into battle and die for a cause they all believed in but her sister, her counterpart, was commander of their battle strategy. And everyone knew and accepted it. Lena, for her part, just waited. “Give us a few minutes Lena,” Maggie said, knowing the look in Alex’s eyes. Lena just nodded, making for the door.

“I’ll go with her,” James said, getting up from his seat. He stopped by Alex’s seat, whispering his approval of Lena’s plan in her ear before following Lena out of the room. Once the door shut, Alex sighed.

“She’s right you know,” Sam said finally, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. “I know you don’t want to give her anything Alex, perhaps justifiably so. But you cannot defend Olympus with this force on your own. They need training and you need help.” Alex looked up from her chair to Sam, who was standing at the other end of the table, near Kara.

“What do you want me to do Sam? Trust the remaining troops to follow the commander of the army they’ve been fighting against? Take orders from the person who killed many of their friends and family? I can’t do that to them.” She said. “I’d have thought you’d understand that.” She said bluntly. Sam just frowned.

“She shouldn’t be granted full reign clearly. I would expect nothing less than full scrutiny and a 24/7 supervisor and I don’t think she’d expect anything else either. And the troops don’t have to follow her. Or trust her. We’re far from doing anything but training them. They won’t be and likely wouldn’t follow her into battle anyway. To be honest, I’m surprised no one has tried to challenge her to a duel yet.” Sam said. Kara snorted.

“They all know that she could kick anyone’s ass that is here. And more. They’re undisciplined, not stupid.” Mon-El said.

“And shouldn’t that be justification enough we need her expertise?” Sam said. “She doesn’t need to be the one that everyone follows to the battlefield. They just need to learn from her experience and training. Even if you appoint someone else to actually lead training. They will take orders from someone else. And that person can use Lena in demonstrations and training. She won’t have any authoritative power nor will any of the troops be bound to take her orders.” Sam reasoned. Alex narrowed her eyes.

“You seem to be rather in her corner, aren’t you?” She inquired curiously. And somewhat cautiously. She trusted Sam but the Roman halfblood took to Lena much quicker than she had taken to anyone else in the room. Sam shrugged.

“I see a bit of myself in her,” Sam replied. “The Roman legion is closer to the Titan army than the Greek army. Dedicated, disciplined, punished severely for the smallest of failures, emotionally charged decisions are looked down on. We strategize with what is most effective, regardless of our own personal feelings. Lena deserves scrutiny, that much I don’t protest. She’s objectively done terrible things. But she’s also the best chance we have of winning this war. We can all sort out personal grievances when we’re not under threat of dying at the hands of the Titans.” Sam said bluntly. She didn’t have nearly as many emotional investments in this so she often took a more pragmatic and arguably, cold, approach to the conflict that was brewing.

Alex sighed. “You are right.” She conceded. “We cannot defend Olympus on our own. We have to train what remains of our troops better and convince the Gods to fight. They cannot sit on Olympus while we’re left to fend for ourselves. The Titans will cut right through us and the Gods will be next on the hit list.” Alex reasoned. “And with the infighting we all know occurs on Olympus, they won’t be prepared.” She sighed. She looked at Maggie. “Go get James and Lena, they need to know what we’ve decided.”

II.

Lena leaned her back against the wall outside the council room. James stood across the small hallway from her, looking at her. They stood in silence for a couple of minutes. Every so often a halfblood would walk down the hallway, their eyes narrowing at the sight of Lena. The halftitan usually tried to avoid the hatred filled gazes, looking at the floor. It felt out of place to not meet them head on and challenge the disrespect. But she wasn’t with the Titans anymore. And she had realized that they all had good reason to treat her with disdain.

“You look... Good.” James said, finally breaking the silence. Lena scoffed.

“You’re just saying that,” Lena replied. James shrugged.

“It’s your aura. You’re more confident than you were. More capable. Not to say you were incapable,” he said quickly as Lena narrowed her eyes, “But when you first came here, you were unsure of yourself. Rarely spoke up unless you had to. Now, you’re not afraid.” He observed. Lena shook her head with a sad chuckle.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve always been afraid.” She started. “I was afraid of what my father would do to Kara and everyone else, so I betrayed them. I was afraid of what he’d do to me, so I followed his orders without question, even knowing that what I was doing would hurt those I cared about. I’m still afraid of what he can do to me, even here. Still afraid of what everyone in that room can do to me if they chose. And I’m afraid of what I turned into. He turned me into a monster. And I let him. I’m afraid of the future. What will the Gods do to me after this is all over?” Lena said, a hard look in her eyes. "I'm far from fearless."

“I don’t know the answer to that question. But I do know that you’re here because you want to do what’s right now. It doesn’t make up for the past, but it’s a good place to start.” He said. Lena gave James a small smile.

“I just wish I believed that.” She said wistfully. The door opened beside them, Mon-El sticking his head out.

“We’re finished discussing. Your presence is requested.” He said, the two nodding and following him back into the room. James and Mon-El took their seats as Lena went over to stand by Sam, who had her eyes trained on Alex.

Alex took a breath. “We have… decided that you’re right, Lena.” Alex said though it was clear the admission was difficult for her. “We don’t have the forces right now to defend Olympus. We won’t let Olympus fall while we have resources that can be put to use to defend it. The remaining troops need training. And the Gods need to be convinced.” She relented. Lena nodded curtly.

“I want to offer my training to help you,” Lena said. Alex looked up at her, then at Sam who gave Alex a small nod, then back to Lena.

“We will accept your help in training our troops, with great exception.” She said. “Mon-El will lead the training. Sam and you will be there to assist him. This is not a promotion of any sort. We need your help, as much as I don’t want it.” Alex said, not taking any effort to hide her displeasure with Lena. “You’re here to get our troops in shape, but they are not bound to follow any orders from you. I’m sure you can understand why.” Alex spat out. Lena nodded. While Lena may not have liked the tone that Alex took with her, if their roles were reversed, Lena would do the same thing that Alex was doing. Begrudgingly accepting an asset that could turn the tide of war. But given their personal history, she’d have been very reluctant and needed outside convincing to take the strategic path. Lena suspected Sam had a great deal to do with this outcome.

“As for the rest of us,” Alex continued, “Maggie, Kara, James and I will be responsible for convincing the Gods to fight. We’re on the best terms with them. Winn, Sam, Mon-El and Lena will be in charge of training our army.” Lena nodded once, acknowledging her understanding of her role. It would be quite different from her more hands-on approach with the Titans, but with Mon-El and Sam’s help, she was sure she could make it work.

“We are agreed?” Alex asked. Everyone in the room voiced their agreement with the plan. “Good, we’re done for today. Our plans start tomorrow. Rest up, we have little time until the Titans launch their final attack and we have to be ready.” She said, getting up from her chair, leaving without another word. Maggie got up and made to follow Alex. But Lena caught her forearm, stopping her briefly.

“We should talk.” She said quietly. Maggie nodded in agreement, looking at the doorway Alex had just walked through.

“Later. I promise.” Maggie said as Lena let go of her. The halftitan nodded.

“I’m sure you’ll know where to find me.” She said as Maggie left the room. Mon-El approached Lena.

“We start training at 9 AM tomorrow, don’t be late.” He said briefly before leaving Lena to herself. Mon-El was extremely distrustful of Lena, but wasn’t holding as much of a personal grudge as Alex. He had a number of fail-safes if Lena went rogue, though he hoped he wouldn’t have to use them.

Sam nudged Lena’s shoulder. “We should talk. Discuss strategy and training regime.” She said. Lena nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, we should.” She replied. She glanced at Kara who was talking to Winn and James. She didn’t want to interrupt the conversation, so she and Sam headed back to Sam’s room to talk art of war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not exactly... fluff.. but still a transition chapter. I really don't have much to say about the chapter. It's a thing.


	7. Training

I.

Lena heard a knock on her door as she was meditating. She had taken to meditating more and more as her temper had gotten shorter and shorter over time. She cracked an eye open, glaring at the door. 

“It’s open.” She said. The door opened to reveal Maggie Sawyer cautiously entering the room. “I’m not going to maim you if that’s what you’re scared of.” She said, closing her eyes again, breathing deeply in and out. 

“I just... “ Maggie started before taking a breath. “Sorry. I’m just not used to this anymore.” She said awkwardly. Lena opened her eyes. 

“You’re telling me.” She joked. “Sit.” She said, nodding towards the empty chair. Maggie obliged, sitting on the edge of the chair. 

“So…” Maggie started. Lena appraised Maggie, her tenseness clear. 

“For what it’s worth, I missed you,” Lena said in an attempt to break the ice between them. Maggie sighed. 

“You know, when we first met in class, I couldn’t have even imagined this is where we’d end up.” Maggie started. “You know none of us blamed you, at first, right? You don’t choose your parents, we all understand that.” She said. Lena slowly nodded. 

“I did.” She started. “In the beginning, it was about protecting you. All of you. Krios and Hyperion threatened your safety if I didn’t join them. Kronos agreed to let you go if I did. I took that option. Maybe I should have believed more strongly that you had the strength to stand up to them. But at the time, I didn’t. Maybe that’s on me. But I had seen my father’s power, even by then. And he wasn’t even the strongest of the brothers. I thought it was in everyone’s best interests that I did what he wanted.” She reminisced. “But I underestimated to what degree the Titans would go to ensure I was their loyal servant.” She said bitterly. 

“What do you mean?” Maggie asked. She knew what their scouts had reported, but no one had heard the full story from Lena. Except perhaps Kara, but if she knew, she hadn’t shared. 

“I thought I could handle it. I had been trained with the Luthors to resist emotional and mental manipulation. It was all a part of being in the family business. But they didn’t prepare me for the emotional and mental dressing down that Hyperion engaged in. Nor the physical side of things. Nor the cruelty. The Luthors were cold. Ruthless even. But never cruel.” She replied. “I resisted at first. Refused to do what they wanted. But at every turn, every defiance, there was a consequence. It started small. The occasional reprimand. The odd slap or threat. The breratement. I could handle that, I thought. Then it escalated over the two years. Humiliation in front of the army. Physical abuse, through Hyperion’s powers or more… traditional means. Emotional and mental torture. I wouldn’t know where to start to explain everything that they did. But over time… I wasn’t strong enough to resist and broke. I turned into the pawn and monster they wanted me to be. And even now, though I acknowledge my actions were wrong and regret what happened, somewhere in my mind, I don’t see myself as wholly responsible. Though I do take responsibility for my actions.” 

Maggie kept a neutral face, though internally she was at an impasse with herself. “Is it painful? To think about now.” Maggie questioned. Lena shrugged. 

“Yes and no. The past is the past. Nothing I do now can take it back. I can look back and regret, sure. But what good does that do me? Or anyone. People will look at my actions, not my reasons. I understand that. And I may never make up for the actions. I accept that too. But I’m doing what I can. I don’t support the Gods as they will never support me. But when we have a mutual enemy, I hope we can come to a truce, for now.” She replied. 

“What will you do when this is over?” Maggie asked. 

“Depends. The Gods, or maybe more accurately Zeus, insists I stand trial after the war. He, at least, will always hold a grudge, because I’m a threat. Maybe rightly so now. I did things to prove him right in that regard. But in playing through scenarios in my head, at least half of them result in death or life imprisonment. Not even Kara can save me from that. Despite what she thinks.” 

“And the other scenarios?” 

“Who knows,” Lena said with a shrug. “Maybe Zeus will grant me leniency for my role in the coming battle. Maybe just exile to the mortal world. I don’t know. So much is uncertain right now.” 

“You know, I’ve thought about what I’d say to you if I got you alone for years now.” Maggie started. 

“And what would you say?” Lena asked. 

“I thought about voicing my disappointment of what’s happened. The anger. The betrayal. It stung. A lot. You were my best friend, Little Luthor. I held out hope, that there would be a signal. A sign of some kind that you were ready to come back home. But that never came. And I don’t know if it’s even possible anymore. But what I always came back to was the hurt. Were we not enough?” Maggie asked, the pain evident in her voice.  

“You were what kept me sane for a long time, never doubt that,” Lena said bitterly. “But day by day, month by month, my father sought to make me forget. Insisted that if you all knew what I had done. What I was capable of, that you’d turn your back on me. That being a child of a Titan inherently discounted me from ever being accepted anywhere but with them. And being surrounded by that mindset all day, day in and day out, I started to believe it. That you’d never forgive me for the things I’ve done. And that I’d deserve it. My pining over Kara was the only thing that he could never touch. And trust me, he tried. Constantly.” 

“Did you ever think about leaving? Trying to escape. We would have taken you back in, protected you best we could. We always knew we’d have to fight the Titans, we would have kept you safe.” Maggie tried. She wanted to keep an open mind about the girl that was once one of her best friends. 

“No. I didn’t.” Lena flashed her powers, showing Hyperion’s mark on her wrist. “There’s nowhere I could go and be safe from him. Physically or mentally. He can invade my dreams. Even have limited physical contact from my mind. I wasn’t prepared to weather that mental storm.” 

“What’s changed then?” Maggie asked with a frown. 

“I used to be afraid. Afraid of what he’d do to me if I left. And I’m still afraid of what he’s capable of. But my fear of what I would become if I continued on the path I was on was greater. I’m a killer, I know that. You know that.” Lena said. Maggie looked a little uneasy at the statement but didn’t contradict it. “I used to believe I’d be better off under the Titans than the Gods. Maybe that’s what kept me there for so long. I believed that even if I was a pawn under the Titans, it was better than imprisoned under the Gods. But my place with the Titans was a gilded cage at best. I didn’t see that for a long time. But I do now.” 

“Where does Kara fit into all of this?”

“She showed me the way out. Offered me the key. I’ll owe her more than I can ever pay back. I don’t even think she fully understands what she gave me. A way out of that cage. Maybe into another, but I’m seeing now that a cage without my father in it with me is worth it.”

“You really care about her, even after all this time, don’t you?” Maggie questioned. 

“More than anyone can imagine. Even myself.” Lena said with conviction. 

“She’s had a hard time over the years,” Maggie said, reiterating what she knew Lena already knew. “You know, we all tried to convince her you were a lost cause. But she alone never lost hope. I think most of us still believe she’s wrong.” She admitted. Lena tilted her head to the side a little. 

“And what do you think?” Lena asked curiously, though not without caution of the answer. 

“I… don’t know. The jury is still out.” Maggie said thoughtfully. “I’ll admit, I want to trust you. But the situation is still way too raw to make any decisions. But I’ll warn you that getting anything more than distrust from Alex, Winn or Mon-El is going to be… difficult.” She said. Lena just shrugged. 

“I’m not asking for forgiveness. I don’t expect it. I know what Kara and James think, but I’m beyond redemption. James believes he owes his life to me. Kara… is complicated. But I can still do my best to make sure no one else suffers for my choices. This war was coming whether I cooperated or not, I just accelerated their plans. All I’m asking of them is to lay aside their well-placed distrust and, I think in your wife’s case, hatred, long enough to win this war. Then we can address everyone’s grievances with me.” 

“You sound like Sam.” Maggie joked. Lena looked a little confused. “She said the same thing in regards to winning this war before we air all our dirty laundry.” Maggie clarified.

“Ah,” Lena replied. “Sam and I… I hardly know her, but I feel a kinship to her in a way. The Romans, we had a few in our ranks. They’re far more disciplined than what I experienced here. Not knocking how Demos trains, but its theory and practice. The Romans, it’s more than that. It's far more hands-on and they punish failure far more harshly. Their people are scarred but strong because of it. Demos eases their people down a hill. The Romans throw them off a cliff. You sink or swim with them.” Lena said. 

“Seems harsh,” Maggie commented. 

“It is. But war is harsh. There’s no room to coddle or babysit your fighters. That can get them killed.” Lena responded. “I don’t say that your people need training lightly. It’s in their own best interest to learn more. Become more disciplined. It’ll increase their chances of coming out of this alive.” 

“Do you think we can win?” Maggie asked. 

“Possibly. A year ago? I would have said no. But things change.” Lena said with a slight shrug. 

“Like we have the former Titan commander on our side?” Maggie said with a small smile in jest. Lena chuckled. 

“I suppose that does increase your chances.” She relented then paused. “You’ve asked about me and Kara, how are you and Alex?” Lena asked, genuinely curious about her former friend’s relationship. 

“We’re good. The war has taken a toll on our alone time but we’re making the best of it.” She relayed honestly. 

“I’m glad,” Lena said. Maggie looked a little skeptical. “Honestly!” She insisted. “Someone’s relationship should be uncomplicated throughout this war. If it couldn’t have been me, at least it was you.” The two shared a laugh, the first the two had shared in a long time.

II.

“And why should we listen to her?” One halfblood spoke up from the back. 

“Yeah? She’s led armies against us. She should be locked up, not here during a training session.” Another said. 

“They only reason she’s alive is because Kara vouches for her. I like Kara and all, but she’s only being used.” 

Voices seemed to echo the same sentiments throughout the hall. 

“Quiet!” Mon-El yelled. The halfbloods all quieted down, though some low murmuring could still be heard. One particularly bold halfblood got up in front of the group, approaching Lena who had adopted a rather defensive stance, her body tensing in case she had to defend herself. 

“You’re responsible for the deaths of countless friends and family members of everyone here.” He sneered as he approached her, standing mere inches away from her. Lena, to her credit, managed to resist the urge to grab him by the collar and shove him away from her. “You don’t belong here. You don’t even deserve to continue breathing.” He spat. Lena’s eyes narrowed, her fiery eyes flickering from the threat. Before she could reply, a hand placed itself on the halfblood’s chest, shoving him back. 

“This fighting will get us nowhere Tommy,” Mon-El said sternly, stepping between the son of Dionysus and Lena. “We need all the help we can get, otherwise the Titan army will wipe us all out and there won’t be an Olympus to protect anymore.” He said. “Nor will any of us live to tell the tale. Lena is here to help us and regardless of our personal issues with her, she knows what she’s doing. She’ll be held to account when this is all over.” He assured Tommy. “But for now, we need her.” He implored Tommy to back down. The halfblood threw a glare Lena’s way before shrugging Mon-El’s hand off of his chest and slinking back into the crowd of halfbloods. 

“We are here today and until the final battle at the gates of Olympus to ensure that the Titans will never reach their final goal,” Mon-El announced to the sizable group of halfbloods standing before him, Sam and Lena standing on either side of him, slightly behind the son of Ares. “The last couple of battles have shown us that we need new tactics. Strategy that we can’t learn alone. But that’s why we have our own secret weapon.” Mon-El looked Sam’s way. They had agreed beforehand that Lena’s involvement would largely be kept to a demonstration capacity with Sam and that she wouldn’t be presented as someone of influence. 

Sam stepped forward. “Mon-El is right.” She said, pacing in front of the halfbloods. “The Titan army is ruthless and bloodthirsty. And this army is… undisciplined.” She said. “You fight with passion but that is only half the story. You need logic and to fight with a sense of survival. This is where your studies at Demos have failed you. Combat theory and practice with classmates will only get you so far if you don’t take those sparring sessions seriously. This is life or death now. You all understand that.” She said as heads nodded around the room. “Friends and family have died for what they believe in. Our job is to make sure their deaths were not in vain.” Sam finished. She watched the halfbloods look to one another, nodding in agreement. A sense of drive filled the room from Mon-El and Sam’s shared speech. 

Sam moved to pair up halfbloods for them to spar so she could observe where they all were. Lena, wanting to keep out of everyone’s way until she was needed, disappeared to an empty corner where she silently observed the room. She was impressed at the way Mon-El and Sam had inspired loyalty with the army. Where the Titans governed by fear, they chose to govern with a shared sense of duty and conviction. 

Mon-El noticed Lena recoiling from the room and walked over to her, joining her in her corner. “Why step in?” She questioned. “Why not just let them at me?” Mon-El snorted. 

“Like I would let Tommy, or anyone else for that matter, humiliate themselves in front of the entire army by fighting you,” Mon-El said. “And we need your help.” He added. “I nowhere near trust you, but Sam is right that these halfbloods need more than we can give them. You and her can. This may be the only thing standing between us and utter defeat. And the Titans can take Olympus over my dead body.” He said with some conviction.  

“That’s fair.” She replied, watching some halfbloods drawing their weapons and beginning to swing at one another. She crossed her arms over the chest. “You know, some of these halfbloods remind me of you back in the day.” She said. He glanced at her.

“How so?” He questioned. 

“The Mon-El I remember always struggled with fighting with his head, not his muscles. Many of these halfbloods fight in the same way. If you could find a way to overcome that shortcoming, I’m sure you’d be more than equipped to teach them how to as well.” She said with a slight shrug. 

“Experience is what did it.” He replied. Lena nodded. 

“Then give them the experience.” She retorted. He gave her a strange look. “Just a suggestion.” She said, watching Sam correct one of the halfblood’s grip on their sword and how to swing while conserving more energy than they were previously. “You don’t have to trust my intentions to take advice you know is viable. I know you’d much rather put a knife in my back right now but as you said, that wouldn’t get us anywhere.” She said without looking at him, her eyes scanning the pairs of halfbloods. 

“You can’t tell me that if you were in my position you would be any different.” He said. Lena shook her head. 

“Of course not.” She replied. “Trust is earned, not freely given. And I’ve done more than enough to never earn that trust again. But if I wanted you all dead and gone, none of you would be here, would you?” She questioned. Mon-El nodded reluctantly. Thus far she had done nothing to provoke them while she had been at their headquarters. And he wasn’t the type of person to deliver punishment prematurely. 

Lena pushed off the wall she had been leaning against, walking over to the nearest sparring pair, approaching them cautiously. Mon-El observed her as she approached the pair, the two obviously wary of her, but luckily for the halftitan, they seemed open to at least hearing her out. He watched her correct their fighting stances and point out weaknesses she had observed in their defenses. 

The halfbloods nodded to Lena’s pointers, sparring again as she stood in observation. As Mon-El watched the halftitan, he had to admit that her place as a training instructor in the Titan army was well earned. She commanded respect, if not for her character, for her knowledge and expertise. So much so that even halfbloods that had every reason to hate her, followed her instruction, though it was clear they still held a deep-seated distrust and loathing for her person. He was very unwilling to trust Lena’s motives but he had to trust that this was the best course of action they had open to them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I got a little distracted during my free time over the last couple weeks playing video games... 
> 
> Anyway, also not particularly sure what to say about this chapter. This will probably only resonate with a small number of people, if any at all, but anyone who has played through all the expansions of Star Wars: The Old Republic, Lena's arc over this story does loosely mirror Arcann's storyline if you choose light side options during the Knights of the Eternal Throne (KOTET) expansion. This is an afterthought of reference on my part (Lena isn't based on Arcann or anything of the sort), but in playing through it again after some time away from the game over the last few weeks, I felt it was actually a rather close representation for how I was writing Lena, strangely enough. 
> 
> And in pre-response to the possibility that some people maybe question as to why Lena opens up more to Maggie than Kara... Keep in mind Maggie was her first friend at Demos, not Kara. And that they were both equally as close to Lena during Ascension, albeit in different ways. Like if I had to rank their friendship level as a group in regards to Lena, it's probably Maggie/Kara > Winn > Mon-El > Alex > James (mostly for lack of interaction as compared to everyone else), at least that's how it is in my head. What comes out on paper is another story xD 
> 
> Plus, there's an added awkwardness between Lena and Kara right now, especially because Lena, all things being equal, would like to spare Kara from further hurt over her past. She doesn't have any such reluctance with Maggie. It'll all come out between Kara and Lena in coming chapters, but for now, this is where we are. 
> 
> Anyway, I have a tendency to overthink potential responses to chapters so I'll stop while I'm behind. Hope you enjoy.


	8. Discussion

I.

Kara was walking down a hallway before a door opened and she was pulled inside a room. Kara sputtered, startled and about to defend herself before she noticed it was just Alex pulling her into her room. “Alex! What the heck?” Kara exclaimed as Alex let go of Kara’s arm. 

“We need to talk.” She replied. “Sister to sister.” Kara frowned, crossing her arms. 

“About what?” She asked defensively. 

“You know about what.” Alex retorted. “I don’t trust Lena.” She started. 

“You haven’t for years, Alex! I didn’t expect that to change.” Kara cut in. Alex groaned, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, taking a few deep breaths. 

“Look, I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get emotionally attached again, only for her to go running off when this is all over. Or better yet, betray us again!” Alex said, more calmly than before. 

“She’s not going to do that.” Kara insisted. 

“And how do you know that?” Alex questioned. “It didn’t stop her before,” Alex grumbled. Kara raised an eyebrow. 

“Because I know her,” Kara said simply. 

“She’s changed since you knew her. Since we all thought we knew her.” Alex said bitterly. Kara stepped forward, putting a hand gently on her sister’s shoulder. 

“Alex. I really don’t want to argue with you about this. You’ve made your feelings about Lena quite clear over the last couple of years. And, in retrospect, you were probably right most of those times. But she’s changed since her time with the Titans. And more since her time with us again. I’m not asking you to trust her, I’m asking you to trust my judgment. She needs us. All of us” Kara said. Alex sighed. 

“How can you be so sure about her?” Alex asked. “She’s tried to kill you, and the rest of us, so many times.” Kara shrugged. 

“To be fair, you also tried to kill her.” Kara reminded her sister. 

“In retaliation! I didn’t start this.” Alex defended herself. Kara raised her hands in surrender. 

“I know, I’m just saying. But in answering your question, I’ve seen a different side of her recently. Not just the side training our troops for the last week or so. Or the front she puts up during council meetings. She’s different. She… knows she did the wrong thing. Walked the wrong path.” Kara admitted. Alex raised an eyebrow skeptically. 

“She sure doesn’t seem all that apologetic,” Alex said, sitting on her bed, patting on the spot next to her. Kara moved to sit next to her sister. 

“She is; just not about what you think she is nor what you think she should be,” Kara replied. “She admits what she did was wrong and regrets what she did in a way.” Alex nodded, listening. “But look at it from her point of view. She wasn’t raised like us, any of us really. This was a new world to her, Winn and James were the only two that weren’t brought up in our world, and they took to it like fish to water. Integrated well. You, me, Mon-El, Maggie, we all largely grew up at Demos. She was brought up in the human world until 18. She was groomed to be a business leader, one that prioritizes self-preservation over everything else. Ever since she found out about her father, even the acceptance that she had found being Apollo’s child disappeared in her eyes. She’s always felt like an outsider. Even if she wasn’t in reality. Add to that, Hyperion’s… treatment and that leads to a pretty toxic environment. She knows she’s a…” Kara swallowed. “Killer. She expects to atone for those deaths. This is just the most immediate way she knows how.” Kara explained. Alex nodded slowly. That explanation did make some sense, but it didn’t ease her reservations at all. 

“That doesn’t earn her the forgiveness she’s so insistent she doesn’t want,” Alex said. 

“Because she doesn’t want it. She doesn’t think she deserves it, Alex. I think, like everything else, she’s doing this for herself. Not for anyone else. Not even me.” Kara said. “Like she has to prove to herself that she’s still capable of doing the right thing when push comes to shove.”

“Do you think she can?” Alex asked honestly. Kara nodded. 

“I think she can. But she needs support. I don’t expect her not to struggle, after everything. And it’s honestly not helpful when all you do is antagonize her.” Kara said with a critical look. Alex looked a little sheepish. “I don’t expect you to trust her again. Or be friends with her. Or whatever it is you are so resistant to do. But I wish you wouldn’t question every little thing she does. She’s done nothing but help us for the last couple of weeks. Does it make up for the years past? No. She’ll be the first to admit that. But it’s a start.” Kara said. Alex sighed. 

“I understand your point of view, Kara. Really. I’m just… trying to protect you from any more heartbreak. I was here to pick up the pieces after she… left. I want you to be happy, and I don’t want to make those choices for you, but she hurt you so much.” Alex said, putting an arm around Kara’s shoulders. “I’m your big sister, it’s my job to look out for you.” Kara laughed. 

“I know, and I love you for that Alex, that will never change, despite how much we have argued over the last few years. Lena and I won’t ever be the same. We both know that. I hope we can explore a friendship more, at least. Even if we can’t be together again. Not that we ever really were.” Kara said, a little bitterness to her voice. “But I want to give her that chance. You weren’t there when my father talked about her. He didn’t even acknowledge she’s a person too. Half human as it were. But she’s an asset. No more than another sword. A talented sword, but a sword nonetheless. After that, her worldview made a lot more sense to me.”

“To be fair, those thoughts are somewhat justified. She did betray us for our greatest enemies and killed numerous halfbloods.” Alex interjected. Kara nodded. 

“I know. But if the world is that black and white, so have we. We’ve killed numerous halfbloods too. Just not Olympian halfbloods.” Kara challenged. 

“In self-defense!” Alex insisted. “We didn’t launch attacks. We didn’t seek them out. They did.” 

“We’re all pawns on the chess board, Alex. Just because they launched the first attack, we responded. We sent scouts and spies, we prepared for the next inevitable battle and waited for them to come to us, home field advantage as it were. And you’re not going to tell me if we were at full strength, we wouldn’t launch a preemptive attack against them right this instant? To her, it was self-defense from the beings pulling the strings. Please, Alex, all I’m asking for is a little faith in me.” Kara begged. Alex sighed, nodding reluctantly. 

“Fine. I’ll lay off of her a little. But if she hurts you again, I will kill her.” Alex said seriously. Kara smiled, wrapping her sister in a big hug. Alex groaned from being squeezed by Kara’s super strength. 

“Thank you,” Kara whispered in her sister’s ear, loosening her hold. Alex chuckled, returning the hug. 

“You’re my sister,” Alex said, the words explaining everything that was needed.

II.

That same afternoon, Sam and Lena had picked up swords against each other. They had been doing so for the last week or two since they started their training program. A handful of Olympian halfbloods had been responding a little better to Lena in the past week. They might not have liked her, but they didn’t hold as much contempt for her as they once did. They begrudgingly respected her skill and that she seemed to seriously be helping them. 

Sam jabbed her gladius at Lena, who parried her attack, following through with her own. Sam blocked with her parma, deflecting her attack. Lena retreated a bit, getting out of Sam’s striking range, her eyes trained on the Roman halfblood. And like she expected, Sam opened a portal, lunging through towards Lena’s side. The halftitan pivoted and managed to catch Sam’s gladius with her right sword. What she was unprepared for was the shield knocking her other sword out of her hand and Sam giving a strong downward push and disarming her of her remaining sword. Lena chuckled, putting her hands up in surrender, bowing her head. At least this time, Sam hadn’t knocked her on her ass like she had the first time she had used her portals in combat. 

“That really is a handy trick.” Lena said, bending over to pick up her swords, sheathing them for the time being. Sam nodded. 

“The element of surprise is always a handy tool. And while the initial use of portals only surprises an enemy once, it’s always a surprise where I’ll end up.” She said, sheathing her own gladius. 

“Using my powers in battle never was my strong suit. I do well enough, but there’s still so much for me to learn and utilize.” She admitted. “A light shield here, a disorienting flash there.” Lena said with a shrug. Sam nodded. 

“You could be near unstoppable if you used your powers more in combat.” Sam noted. 

“I try not to. Using my powers is draining, even after all this time. The last time I went all out against my father, it was only the adrenaline keeping me going. And Kara’s help.” Lena shrugged. 

“I saw that fight, it was impressive. Hard to keep up. Blurring in and out of sight.” Sam said, walking over to her water bottle, taking a long drink. 

“It expends a lot of energy to do that,” Lena said. “Trying to keep up with a Titan… I’m still only half human.” Lena explained. Sam nodded. 

“I understand your meaning. Probably more than the average halfblood. Does the Titan side of you sometimes… take over in the heat of a battle?” Sam questioned. Lena shrugged. 

“Usually not. But I had… accepted that side into myself, so they’re not really two separate sides so to speak.” Lena said. “My father was rather insistent on making sure I knew I was a Titan first, human second,” Lena said. It had gradually become easier over the week to talk about her father with certain people. Sam and Kara namely. A part of her mind flinched every time she mentioned him regardless, but she was beginning to accept that part of her would likely never heal. And she would just have to learn to deal with it. 

“I envy you,” Sam said. “Most of the time I can control it. But my father didn’t just pass on his power over portals. The split personality is… draining to keep at bay.” Sam admitted. Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“What do you mean?” Lena questioned, genuinely curious. She had felt like she found a true kindred spirit in Sam. More than any of the Greek halfbloods. Sam’s respect for battle and somewhat warlike tendencies were far more in line with her own than the reluctance from the Greeks. 

“Most of the time I keep the destructive side of myself in a cage. But when the blood and adrenaline pumping, Reign sometimes makes an appearance.” Sam said. “I wouldn’t call her necessarily another person or separate entity, but that’s a part of myself I don’t recognize when I look in the mirror. Honestly, I’m kind of frightened of the person I can be when she comes out to play, as it were.” Sam confided in Lena. The halftitan nodded in understanding. She wouldn’t have called it an excuse for her actions, because it certainly was not, but Lena understood having another, completely unrecognizable side to the actual person she was. But where Sam kept that side of her caged, Lena had surrendered to it. And she was likely going to end up paying for that weakness in one way or another. In the near future. 

III. 

Winn and James were walking past the training hall, stopping to see Lena and Sam, dripping with sweat from an apparent sparring session, chatting. “They seem… chummy.” Winn said, with some unease. 

“It makes sense,” James replied. “They’re both from largely warlike environments. They would find some sense of bond, especially here.” 

“Doesn’t that make you wary though?” Winn asked. “Two people like that, being friends?” James frowned. 

“You trusted Sam when she first came here. What’s different now?” James asked. Winn glanced back at Lena. “She’s still a person you know. A killer, but most of us are now as well. It’s not like we’re in a real position to judge on that alone.” 

“Yeah, but she took pleasure in what she did.” Winn insisted. “We did it because our hands were forced.” 

“How do you know she enjoyed it? You never talk to her. You run away from her every time she enters a room.” James questioned. 

“I just… I know.” Winn tried. James shook his head. 

“You two were once the best of friends, Winn. Don’t you think if she really wanted you dead, you’d still be standing here? Any of us really? Kara is strong, and she’s trained really hard, but Lena is in a different league than the rest of us. Sam is in that league with her. She had the chance to kill me. She held back. What else do you think she held back during this war? If she had really wanted us dead, she wouldn’t have interfered with Hyperion’s attempt to kill Kara. But she did.” He asked. Winn opened his mouth, shutting it and glancing back at Lena and Sam. 

“I still… don’t trust her. But you’re right. She held back. To what end, I don’t know.” Winn begrudgingly admitted before he scurried off in search of Mon-El. He had some things to talk over with the son of Ares. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I actually enjoyed writing this. To be honest, I haven't really yet decided in Lena and Kara are actually going to end up together by the end of the story. I don't really want to like.. queerbait as it were since this story has been tagged as Supercorp for the entirety of the series, but I also don't really want to force them together, especially if the story writes itself in such a way where it would be more realistic for them to not. That doesn't mean they won't end up together though. At the very least they're going to come out of this as allies and friends. We'll see where it goes romantically. With the way I have it planned out to end, it does leave the door open for a spin-off of the trilogy that there can be a more in-depth exploration of their romantic relationship if that's what's needed. 
> 
> Anyway, enough internal rambling. Hope you enjoyed.


	9. Admission

I.

Alex laid in bed next to Maggie, sighing. “What’s wrong?” Maggie asked, flipping onto her side to face Alex who was on her back, staring at the ceiling. 

“Do you think we’re doing the right thing?” Alex asked. 

“In regards to what?” Maggie asked for clarification. 

“Lena. And Kara. And all of this.” She said. 

“What do you mean by that?” Maggie coaxed. She knew Alex was the type of person who really needed to talk through her thoughts before she came to any sort of conclusion.

“I mean, were we wrong to abandon her like we did? Is part of this really our fault?” Alex asked, Kara’s words from the previous day not having left her mind. 

“Where is this all coming from? You never had any doubt in regards to Lena before.” Maggie questioned, sitting up in bed next to her wife. Alex groaned. 

“It’s just something Kara said yesterday. It’s stupid. Just got me thinking. We knew the situation Lena was in. Kara, even then, wanted to pull her out. So did everyone else really. I was the one to got in the way and convinced everyone that Lena had made her choice. That she was beyond saving. Is she beyond that now, because of a choice I made?” Alex asked, the thought haunting her psyche. She may loathe Lena now, but they had once been friends too. Maggie set a hand on Alex’s stomach, rubbing it gently. 

“This isn’t your fault, Alex. I don’t think anyone is fully at fault for the situation we find ourselves in. I do think it would help set your mind at ease if you actually talked to her though. You’ll find that she’s pretty reasonable one on one.” Maggie said, her mind being cast back to the emotionally charged conversation she had with the halftitan. It had been a few weeks in the past and the two had not gone out of their way to make up or anything, but Maggie did make an effort to be civil to Lena. 

“I don’t know if I can be alone in the same room with her without wanting to punch her in the face,” Alex admitted. Maggie chuckled. 

“Somehow, at this point, I don’t know if she’d actually stop you,” Maggie remarked. “I’m not going to tell you how to sort yourself out, but I do think it would be good for you. You keep getting secondhand information from me or Kara or from your observations when Lena is sitting in on the handful of council meetings we’ve allowed her to or when she’s training. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you watching her like a hawk.” 

Alex blushed a little at being caught. “I just… I can’t bring myself to trust her. Not after how she’s tried to kill us so many times. And her particular fixation on Kara, even after breaking her heart. How am I supposed to trust the person that caused that heartbreak for her?” Alex asked. 

“Kara is a big girl, Alex. She can make her own decisions, even if you think they’re ill-advised. You and I both know she inherited your stubbornness and if you try to butt in, she’ll just try harder. I don’t think Lena is going to betray Kara’s trust again, but in the event she does, you just have to be there for her. And not lord over her. Just be her sister.” Maggie reassured her. Alex sighed. 

“I know intellectually you’re right. It’s just hard to convince my emotions that you’re right.” Alex relented. Maggie laughed. 

“You have a big heart Alex. And no one has a higher place than your sister. But you’ve gotta let her take the plunge if she wants to and be there to pull her out if she needs it. She’ll never learn otherwise. And probably will end up resenting you, as much as she doesn’t want to.” Maggie said, resting her head on Alex’s shoulder. 

Alex sighed. “I feel like my brain is going to war over it.” She said, burying her face in Maggie’s hair. Maggie kissed Alex’s neck gently. 

“I can distract you for a little while.” She whispered. Alex shivered, nodding as Maggie swung a leg on top of Alex, staring down at her, a playful glint in her eyes.

II.

There was a knock on Lena’s door. She sighed, uncrossing her legs. She had been trying to meditate, but it seemed like every time she tried, she had someone wanting to interrupt. “Come in.” Lena said, assuming it was Kara or Sam. The two were the only ones who talked to her regularly. The rest of the halfbloods were either too distrusting or fearful to stay in the same room with her alone for more than two minutes. The door opened and to Lena’s surprise, Roulette slinked in, shutting the door behind her. “Roulette.” Lena said flatly. The daughter of Hermes pouted. 

“It sounds like you’re not happy to see me.” She teased. Lena rolled her eyes. 

“It’s not that, but you really shouldn't be here,” Lena replied. 

“You’re not afraid of what the goody-two-shoes halfbloods think, are you?” Roulette questioned. 

“Afraid, no. But I do care.” Lena said. “So what do you want?” She asked. 

“Just wanted to chat with an old friend.” Roulette said, sinking into the spare chair in Lena’s room, careful to keep her at arm’s length. “How have you been? Playing lapdog for the Gods?” Roulette prodded. Lena’s eyes narrowed. 

“I don’t see you complaining about it,” Lena said, notably not denying Roulette’s accusation. Roulette shrugged. 

“I’m here because of you, Lena. You know that. There was nothing left for me back with the Titans if you weren’t there. I thought we were friends, you wound me to think we’re back to this game of friendly hatred.” Roulette said, genuine disappointment in her voice. Lena sighed. 

“No. I know. I’m just… stressed.” Lena confessed. “Things have been going a little better, but training these halfbloods is slower than I’d like, especially because the majority of them don’t trust me and hate my guts.” 

“What did you expect? We did massacre them a couple of times.” Roulette pointed out.  

“It’s not like I expected a parade or to be welcomed with open arms, but it has been nearly a month. I had hoped that, even if they didn’t trust me, they would believe that I’m not going to murder them at night and I’m not hatching some secret plan to kill them all from the inside, which, might I add, you are not helping in that department by being here,” Lena scolded. Roulette just shrugged. 

“I’ve haven’t seen my best friend in a while, thought I’d just check in. How are things with Kara?” Roulette asked.

“They’re… tense but better.” Lena replied curtly. 

“There’s got to be more to the story than that.” Roulette said, getting out of the chair and daring to inch closer to Lena’s place on the bed, sitting beside her. Lena opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the door opening. 

“Lena, I was wonder-” Kara said, stopping short when she saw Roulette in the room. “Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was interrupting something... “ Kara trailed off, making to back out of the room. Lena got up off the bed. 

“You weren’t, she was just leaving.” Lena said, giving Roulette a look. The halfblood had enough sense to not irritate Lena further for the day, nodding, giving Lena a wink and slinking away. Kara watched Roulette go, shutting the door behind her. “What were you wondering, Kara?” Lena asked. 

Kara, in a stupor, glaring at the place where Roulette had sat not a minute ago, blinked before looking at Lena. “Oh. I was just wondering if you’d mind if I came to your next training session. Alex and Maggie are still trying to come up with a game plan for approaching the Gods, so we haven’t really started on our part yet. And I figured I could use a little help from the best.” Kara said with a small smile, still not really relaxing after her encounter with Roulette. Lena took note, gesturing for Kara to sit on the bed while Lena took the chair. 

“You’re alway welcome Kara. Now, what don’t you ask me what you really want to ask.” Lena prodded. Kara blushed a little. 

“It’s silly,” Kara replied, rubbing her forearm. Lena shook her head. 

“It’s not if I can sense that you’re freaking out about it,” Lena replied. Kara rolled her eyes. 

“I’m not freaking out. I guess, I just didn’t expect to find Roulette here.” She admitted. Lena sighed. 

“I didn’t invite her if that’s what you’re wondering. She invited herself, as she is so fond of doing.” Lena groaned. 

“Isn’t she your friend?” Kara asked. She had noticed the way that Roulette had greeted Lena when they first came to the base and it didn’t escape her notice that Roulette was watching Lena a lot over the past month, even if the halftitan hadn’t noticed it herself. 

“In a manner of speaking.” Lena said. “There wasn’t a lot in the way of companionship on Mount Othrys. She was… a friendly face.” Lena admitted. Kara shifted in her seat a little uncomfortably. The way Lena had phrased their relationship didn’t escape Kara. 

“Companionship?” Kara asked, not exactly knowing if she wanted the answer. Lena grimaced, not really wanting to delve into her complicated relationship with Roulette, but also not wanting to lie to Kara about her past anymore. 

“I… we... “ Lena stuttered a little. “It’s complicated.” Lena admitted. “I tried to move on, Kara.” Kara bit her lip. It’s not like she hadn’t thought that Lena tried. But to actually hear it did hurt, especially when Kara herself had never tried. “We’re nothing more than maybe friends now, Kara. You have my word on that.” Lena added hastily. 

“Did I really mean that little to you?” Kara whispered, the words slipping out of her mouth before she could even think about stopping them. Lena flinched a little, getting out of her chair, kneeling on the ground in front of Kara, her hands placed gently on Kara’s thighs, a soft enough touch for Kara to move out of it if she wanted, but the halfblood didn’t. Instead, she looked down at her hands, playing with them in her lap. 

“You mean the world to me Kara, as my friend or anything else. Those first few months away from you hurt a lot. I tried to distract myself from the pain of losing everything. And cope with my new life. Roulette was there. And she was willing. But before too long, I found myself unable to continue any longer. It felt like more of a betrayal than I had ever experienced. Our affair only lasted a few months, but even then, I never... “ Lena trailed off. She put a hand on Kara’s. “Are you mad?” Lena asked. Kara breathed in and out for a few seconds before looking at Lena. 

“Mad? No. I don’t think I am. I guess, I’m still trying to come to terms with the world I dreamt up in my head and reality. Maybe disappointed is a better word.” Kara said, a little bitterly. Lena straightened up a little to where she was eye level with Kara, her eyes fading from the fiery flicking back to their natural bluish-green hues, reaching up carefully and stroking Kara’s cheek. 

“Reality has a way of catching up to us, whether we want it to or not.” Lena said as Kara leaned into her’s touch. “I’m sorry, that I couldn’t be what you wanted me to be.” Lena said sadly. “Or what you deserve.” Kara stared at Lena, her gaze watching Lena’s natural eye color flicker in and out between that and her Titan side, the fiery gaze what Kara had become accustomed to over time. 

“Why do they do that?” Kara blurted out. Lena frowned in confusion. “Your eyes.” Kara clarified. “The reds, yellows and oranges, but you still have your natural color. It comes out sometimes.” Lena closed her eyes, breathing slowly before answering. 

“I… have two sides at war. My Titan side and the human side. Hyperion wanted to beat the human into submission, and eventually he wanted to beat it out of me altogether. I gave myself to the Titan side of me. And it’s an ugly side of me that I wish you never have to see fully unleashed again. My humanity has long been dormant, fighting for control but I never let it. Now, I have a reason.” Lena said, opening her eyes, the bluish-green returning for a moment before flickering back. “There’s something in my life worth fighting for now.” She said with conviction. Kara smiled slightly. 

“We’re going to be okay, right?” Kara asked hesitantly. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Lena questioned. “I’ve done so much to betray your trust, and yet you still believe in me.” Lena said quietly. Kara reached up to place her hand on Lena’s hand which still was placed on her cheek.

“I believe in you because you’re worth it. I wish you could see what I see in you. You’re more than just your blood. Or your heritage. We’re all capable of good and evil. And we all lose our way. You have no idea how many times I’d imagined killing everyone who stood in between us.” Kara said. 

“The difference, though, is that you only imagined it. I actually did those things.” Lena bitterly said. 

“I wish you would stop being so hard on yourself.” Kara replied. “If you were truly the heartless monster you say you are, you never would have let James live. You wouldn’t have defended me from your father. You wouldn’t be training our troops against the Titans. The bad things you’ve done won’t go away. The people you hurt may never forgive you. But you’re making a good faith effort to atone for those sins. That’s more than a lot of people can say.” 

“I just… I want to do this for myself. I don’t believe I deserve this chance, but I’m going to make the most of it. The things I did, I can never take them back. Sometimes I wonder if I truly did them for self-preservation, or if I actually enjoyed it. And that thought scares me. I’ve rationalized for so long that it was all about saving myself. But a dark part of me liked it. The power, the bloodshed. I don’t want to be that person, but I surrendered to that side of me anyway. It’s like I have to prove, not only to you, but to myself, that I can control it.” Lena admitted. It was an admission she really did not want to think about. How much of her was lost forever to her Titan side. And at the end of the day, was she capable of coming back from it? 

III. 

The next training session, Kara joined in. Mon-El had been tied up in other things so Kara offered to step in to oversee training, since Lena and Sam still needed a supervisor. Ever since Sam had tied herself and her reputation to Lena’s own fighting prowess, a number of halfbloods had becoming increasingly distrustful of the Roman halfblood. However, an equal number of halfbloods had actually become a little more trusting of Lena, soothing their fears that she had some ulterior motive. No one really trusted Lena or were willing to forgive her for her sins, but they all respected her skill and followed her instruction. 

“Today, we’re going to study the enemy.” Sam said loudly. “In order to be an effective fighting force, you have to understand your enemy. Their capabilities, their weaknesses, their strength, and their shortcomings. And we have one of the best examples we could ask for.” Sam said, her eyes flicking to Lena, who stood stoically with her hands behind her back. “Lena?” Sam asked. Lena nodded.

She unclasped her fists from behind her back, summoning her swords at will, the dual blades flashing as their materialized in her hands, leaving a brief shine before the light faded. Hyperion’s mark on her wrist glowing as well. Some of the halfbloods stepped back, both in awe and fear of that demonstration alone. “Most halfbloods don’t have my power, you all know that,” Lena said. “But I know how they’re trained. The weaknesses in their training.” She turned to Sam. “A little demonstration is in order I think?” She inquired. Sam nodded, reaching for her own gladius and parma. 

“First to land a body hit?” Lena asked. Sam nodded in agreement. Kara looked between the two, the playful energy apparent between the two. 

“Use your powers. They need to know.” Sam instructed. Lena looked a little hesitant, but nodded. She closed her eyes for a second, her swords heating up to a low heat, not enough to seriously burn or injure Sam but enough to make her yelp. Her swords glowed a dangerous reddish orange color. 

“Do your worst, Luthor.” Sam teased. Lena snorted, making the first move, lunging forward and striking at Sam, who simply parried with her shield, jabbing her own sword toward Lena. The halftitan sidestepped, backing off for the time being. “Is that all you got?” Sam said, an amused look in her eyes. Lena rolled hers, circling Sam. 

The next time their blades met, it was Sam who initiated, opening a portal and jumping through. Lena kept an ear out for the subtly sound of the portal opening. It opened to her right, so she pivoted, but Sam’s strike was too quick, forcing Lena to pull up a light shield with her right hand to block the jab. Sam’s gladius glanced off the shield, allowing Lena a moment to get situated and follow up with her own attack. The Roman halfblood opened a portal below her, dropping down into it and opening the other a few feet from Lena. 

“Good.” Sam said. The third time, Lena used her photokinesis powers like a flashbang, blinding everyone in the hall briefly, including Kara. When the light faded, everyone saw Lena and Sam lock blades, Lena pushing against Sam. The fire in her eyes flickering excitedly. Sam looked up at Lena, who forced her to her knees in an effort to hold the halftitan off. Sam smirked, breaking the lock, opening a portal below her again. But this time, because most of Lena’s balance and strength had been pushed against Sam, the halftitan lost her balance at her sudden disappearance. And before she had a chance to recover, Sam jumped through a portal behind her, bashing Lena’s back with her shield, the halftitan grunting, before hitting the ground from the force of Sam's attack. Sam relented triumphantly. 

Lena grimaced, but pushed herself up from the ground. She turned to Sam. “Bested me again.” Lena joked. Sam laughed, grabbing Lena’s forearm, pulling her forward and into a brief hug. “You put up a good fight. We really should work on your powers sometime. That flash attack almost got me. If I didn't have portals, I probably wouldn't have gotten out of that.” Lena nodded. Sam turned to the other halfbloods who had been watching. They were all looking at the two, both looking amazed and a little intimidated by the show of power from the two of them. 

“Your enemy isn’t unbeatable. You just have to understand how they fight. Today we’ll be looking at ways to examine your opponent on the fly.” She said, before launching into a lecture of a few techniques. Lena, her ego a little bruised at being beat by Sam yet again, stood to the side. Her acute hearing picked up on a few halfbloods murmuring between themselves. 

“Did you see the way Sam beat her?” One whispered. 

“Yeah, but Lena’s power. I knew she was powerful, but damn, I didn’t know she was capable of pyrokinesis and photokinesis.” Another said. 

“At least she’s on our side now.” A third said. The entire group muttered in agreement. Lena smiled to herself. Despite herself, she felt good at the words. She might not be trusted or forgiven. But she was appreciated. Maybe she still had a chance to find a place where she belonged.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little longer than normal. I had a bunch of different things to put in the chapter and ended up being longer than I intended. I think I've made quite clear over the length of this series that I really don't like absolute good or evil. Hence a lot of the dialogue of this chapter. 
> 
> Next chapter we get into a little more of Kara's side of the story and involve more of the Gods and this aspect of the plan. I admit I had a rocky start to this installment of the series, but I think I'm finally getting into a rhythm of where each of the characters is coming from.


	10. Persuasion

I.

“C’mon Kara, Alex and Maggie wanted us 10 minutes ago,” James said to his friend who was watching Sam and Lena practice together. The two newcomers had taken to each other rather quickly, for which Kara was glad. She had initially been worried it would only be her and James that would be there for her but Lena had connected with Sam rather easily. “Kara,” James said, prodding Kara. The blonde jumped, then turned to glare at James who just shrugged. “We need to go.” He said. “You can watch your girlfriend later.” He teased. Kara shoved him gently. 

“She’s not my girlfriend. And okay.” She said, giving the two sparring halfbloods one last glance before following James to their council room. Alex and Maggie had formulated a tentative game plan to get the Gods to fight in the coming final battle. Now it was just a matter of assigning Gods and plan of attack. 

They reached the council room, James opening the door and gesturing for Kara to step inside. She did and he followed close behind her. Maggie and Alex were already sitting around the table, chatting. Maggie looked up, waving the two over to take a seat at the table. “Afternoon you two.” Alex started. Kara and James nodded in acknowledgment. “I think we’ve waited long enough to get a jump on our part of this plan.” She said, Maggie nodding in agreement. “Lena, Sam, Mon-El, and Winn have been training our forces for some time now and we have yet to convince one God.” 

“Well, what’s the plan then?” James questioned. Alex glanced at Maggie, unfolding a piece of paper with a large chart on it. It was a tree chart with the Gods’ names on each different branch and on different levels. 

“Maggie and I came up with the best plan of attack, so to speak,” Alex said, letting Maggie take it from there. 

Maggie pointed to a few names on the bottom of the tree. “See, we can’t take this directly to Zeus. No offense Kara, but your father would not agree straight out of the gate if we asked him to fight, even if we had the most perfect argument.” Maggie said, a little apologetically. Kara waved her off, knowing that was very true. Zeus was, and had always been, dedicated to keeping the Gods out of most mortal affairs. 

Kara strained her neck to get a better look at the names Maggie was pointing to. “Apollo, Athena, and Aphrodite?” Kara questioned. Alex nodded. 

“We think these three are the easiest to get on our side for now, before we take our case to Zeus. We need to have allies when we approach him, Gods who think that they should intervene in this matter.” Alex clarified. 

“Why these three?” James asked. Alex cleared her throat. 

“Apollo was posing as Lena’s father for a rather great deal of time. And since then has seemed to be sympathetic to her… situation. More so than most of the other Gods. Athena is our mother, James. You and I both know if we approach her with wisdom we can get her to agree. And Aphrodite well, Kara you said yourself that she believes love will win this war. And again, like Apollo, has been more sympathetic to Lena and the situation.” Alex reasoned. James and Kara nodded slowly. 

“We also believe if we can convince them, others will follow,” Maggie said, tracing along the lines of the tree. Apollo can hopefully convince Artemis and possibly Hermes, Athena and Aphrodite can sway Ares. Aphrodite can also hopefully convince Hephaestus. With half the Olympians on our side, that should hopefully at least sway a couple of others in the moment to force Zeus’ hand.” She reasoned. Kara and James nodded in agreement. 

“We start today?” James asked. Alex nodded. 

“I’m hoping we can at least talk to the three today and then leave it for a week or two, let the idea sink in and word among the Olympians spread. Then we can ask one of the Gods to call a council.” She replied. James nodded. 

“So who is doing what?” He asked. Maggie and Alex looked at each other. 

“We think Apollo and Aphrodite will likely be easier to convince than Athena. So you and I will tackle Athena while Maggie and Kara go for the other two.” Alex said. 

“Sounds like a plan,” Kara said, standing from her chair. “Do you want to go now?” Kara asked Maggie. The halfblood shrugged, nodding and standing up as well.

“No time like the present.” She said.

II.

Kara and Maggie walked through the portal to Olympus, careful to keep an eye out. Olympus was the home of the Gods, and they were children of said Gods, but it still could be a dangerous place if one didn’t keep their guard up. “C’mon, Apollo’s residence is this way,” Kara said. 

Maggie nodded, following Kara’s lead. Maggie had been to Olympus a handful of times, but Kara had spent much more time there than anyone else had over the last couple of years. The two confidently walked to Apollo’s residence, where they were met with a couple of guards at the entrance. “Your business with Lord Apollo?” One asked, his voice deep and low. 

Kara gulped. “The commander of the halfblood army wishes to speak with him.” She said, hoping her title would be enough to gain them entry. The guards looked at one another before bowing to the two slightly, allowing them entrance, one walking away to find the God. Kara let out a sigh when they were out of sight of the guards. 

“I wasn't sure that would work.” Kara confided in Maggie. They didn’t have to wait long before Apollo came around the corner. 

“Kara, Maggie. What brings you here?” He asked questioningly. 

“Is there somewhere private we could speak?” Maggie asked. Apollo frowned, but nodded, and led them to a private study, shutting the door behind him. 

“Now, what is this about?” He asked. Kara and Maggie exchanged a look before Kara spoke.

“We need your help.” She blurted out. Apollo blinked, waiting for her to continue. Kara took a deep breath and continued. “We need the help of the Gods to defeat the Titans. It’s not something we can do on our own.” She clarified. 

“And what is my role in this?” He asked. Maggie and Kara both noted he did not flat out refuse them. 

“We’re trying to gain allies in our plans from other Gods before approaching Zeus. We all know he will be loathed to involve the Olympians in this war. But if we have enough support, we can force him to agree.” Maggie stepped in. Apollo nodded slowly, sitting back in the chair he occupied. 

“I admit, I have worried for my children. And those I consider family.” He said, leaving Lena’s name unspoken but understood between the three nonetheless. “But I have been… punished for speaking out of turn as of late.” He said. Kara frowned. 

“What for?” She asked. Apollo’s eyes shot up from his desk to Kara. 

“In regards to Lena.” He admitted. “I wanted to protect her from Zeus’ anger. I suppose it did partially work since he wanted to kill her outright. But I paid the price for my boldness.” He said. 

“You won’t be alone,” Maggie said. “We’re hoping to sway over half the council before we go to Zeus. He won’t have a choice.” 

“You don’t know Zeus well enough then. He may pretend to take into consideration the entire council, but in reality, he is the King of the Gods. It’s not a democracy.” Apollo sighed.

“Please.” Kara pled. “We need your help. We’re not asking you to speak out. Just support us when the time comes. If the Gods don’t fight in this war, the Titans will destroy everything. And there will be nothing left to argue over.” Apollo cast his gaze down, deep in thought.

The three sat in silence for a number of minutes, though it felt like hours. “Fine.” Apollo finally said. “I will support your proposal.” 

“Thank you.” Maggie and Kara both said gratefully. Apollo nodded once. “Can you also talk to Artemis? You’d have far more influence on her than we would. And another name to support us would take the burden off of you as well.” Making sure he saw the benefit to him personally as well as to their cause.

“I will see what I can do. I can promise nothing. My sister is strong and independent, and I can not make decisions for her, but I will speak with her about this.” 

“Thank you, that’s all we ask,” Kara said, getting to her feet and Maggie following suit. 

“I do have one request for you.” He said as they turned to leave, turning back to him. 

“Anything,” Kara said. 

“Tell Lena that I’m sorry. And that I never meant to deceive her. I was just trying to protect her.” He said, regret in his eyes. Kara nodded stiffly. 

“I will pass on your message.” She said. 

“Thank you.” 

III. 

The pair made their way from Apollo’s residence to another in search of Aphrodite. The goddess was relatively easy to find, as the two found her by the main fountain on the way to her estate. “Ah, just the two halfbloods I wanted to see.” She greeted them. The two bowed in respect. 

“We were just looking for you as well,” Kara said. Aphrodite nodded with a knowing smile. 

“You want my help with your plan, don’t you?” She asked. 

“How did you…?” Maggie trailed off. Aphrodite chuckled. 

“Unlike my fellow Olympians, I pay close attention to the goings on down at your base. Your plan for the Gods to oppose the Titans did not escape my notice. And I agree with you. We have sat passively for too long, watching our children die in our name without providing them adequate support against those much more powerful than they are.” 

“So you’ll support us in trying to convince my father?” Kara asked. Aphrodite nodded. 

“And I will discuss with my husband. And lover. They will both listen to me.” She said. Her laugh masking what Kara and Maggie knew was determination and confidence underneath. Her beauty and grace was the envy of even her fellow Gods. 

“Thank you,” Kara said gratefully. 

“I would wish to speak with you alone, Kara.” She said. Maggie glanced at Kara, who nodded. “Excellent. You may stay here, Maggie. No one will bother you.” Maggie nodded gratefully as Aphrodite walked away, Kara at her side. 

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Kara asked curiously. 

“I’m simply curious if you thought about my words.” She said. Kara recalled the last time the two spoke. 

_ Your heart won’t lead you astray Kara. But I will warn you to temper your heart with your head.  _

“I’ve been trying,” Kara admitted. “It’s hard, but Lena and I… I’m trying but she keeps her distance from me most of the time. She’s so cold and cut off from everyone else, except perhaps Sam. And myself. I don’t know how to reach her.” Kara said dejectedly. 

“Follow your heart, Kara. You have a big and loving heart, for everyone around you. It can save even the darkest of souls if you put your mind and determination to it.” Aphrodite replied. 

“She just seems like she doesn’t want to talk to me. I always have to seek her out myself. She avoids my gaze most of the time when we’re not in private. It’s like she doesn’t want to interact with me at all and is just humoring me.” 

“She is afraid, Kara. She’s afraid that she is no longer worthy of you. And that you’re doing all of this out of pity. But love is resilient. It can be left to fester, eventually wither and diminish but can be rekindled with some effort and care.” She advised. “Give her time. Her world has been turned upside down many times since she first found out about our world. She needs time to adjust to the constant changes. But always be there for her. Many of your friends and family distrust her, perhaps rightly so, but you can give her the reassurance and acceptance that she needs to grow. And turn into the person we all need her to be.” 

Kara nodded eagerly. “I just want her to accept herself. She tortures herself for her past. Punishes herself I think. She says she doesn’t dwell on the past, but the murders she committed haunt her. I know it.” Aphrodite nodded. 

“She shows real regret. Feels it. Yet another reason she needs you. That regret will help her move past this low point in her life. She will need to atone for her past, but those around her need to tell her it’s not in vain. That her redemption is still possible.” The goddess advised. “That is your role here, Kara. Accept her past, but don’t let her fall to that darkness again.” 

“I won’t,” Kara said boldly, confidence surging through her body.

IV.

James and Alex followed the other two halfbloods through the portal, but split off at the entrance in search of their mother. “Do you think Maggie and Kara can do it?” James asked. 

“I have faith in them. Apollo will likely be the more difficult of the two. Aphrodite has long felt that the Gods adopt too much of a hands-off attitude. And she has a great deal of love for her all her children, even her halfblood children. More than most of the other Gods.” Alex reasoned. James nodded. 

“I hope so.” He said as the two entered Athena’s estate. They went off in search of their mother, predictably, finding her in her sizable library. 

“Mother,” Alex called out, catching the goddess’ attention. Athena looked up from her tone, smiling at the two. 

“Alex. James,” Athena replied, walking over to them. “What brings you here?” She asked. 

“We need to discuss something with you,” Alex said, rather seriously. Athena caught her tone, nodding stiffly, gesturing for them to sit with her in an empty alcove. 

“We need your help,” James said, Alex nodding in agreement. 

“We believe the only way to win this war is with the help of the Gods. We can’t defeat the Titans alone.” Alex started. “We’ve heard from multiple sources at this point that the Titans plan on assaulting the gates of Olympus during the final battle. They will annihilate us, no matter how much training we have, unless the Gods step in.” Alex said seriously.  

“What sources of information do you have?” Athena asked, knowing that the former Titan army commander was likely one of them. 

“Lena has relinquished all her knowledge of the Titan’s plans to the council for us to use to counter. Veronica Sinclair, a daughter of Hermes and former Titan army captain, confirmed their intentions. And a couple of our embedded spies have confirmed the intel as well.” Alex relayed. Athena nodded thoughtfully. 

“Your wisdom on this, James?” She asked. 

“I agree with Alex. We need the help of the Gods. Our army is training as hard as they can, but only a small handful of us can even dream of standing up to a Titan. Lena, as well as Kara of course. Perhaps the rest of the war council if we pair up, but even then it’s uncertain if we could prevail. And there are five Titan brothers, each stronger than the last, their halfblood army and scores of monsters to contend with as well. If we get overrun, nothing will stand between the Gods and the invading Titans. It would be wiser to stop them before they get that far.” He said. 

Athena nodded, thinking on their wisdom for a few minutes before responding. “I agree. Breaching the gates of Olympus would be catastrophic. What do you need from me? I assume you have a plan?” She asked and the two halfbloods nodded.

“We need to gather as much support on the council as possible before a meeting is called, to try to force Zeus’ hand,” Alex said. “We were hoping you may be able to sway Ares to our cause. We have, hopefully, already convinced Apollo and Aphrodite to support us as well.” 

“Those two will likely support this movement. Ares will as well.” Athena replied. 

“We’re hoping that Hephaestus and Artemis will join our movement as well, giving us half of the twelve Olympians in support.” James chimed in. Athena nodded. 

“You will likely need at least that to hope to convince Zeus. He will most certainly be against this, and Hera will likely stand with her husband. Demeter and Hestia dislike getting involved in battle at all, so I would not count on their support. Hades and Poseidon, you may have a chance of swaying if you can show a united front to them.” 

“And what of Dionysus?” James asked. 

“He is rather fickle on decisions like this, even I cannot divine how he would respond,” Athena said. “But your biggest obstacle will be the King of the Gods himself.” 

“And your wisdom on how to move forward?” Alex questioned. 

“Proceed with caution, my children. Zeus’ temper and desire to keep the Olympians away from conflict is strong. Even with all of the Gods on your side, that may not be enough. You need to come up with a plan on swaying him personally. I suggest appealing to his desire to maintain the power of Olympus. Zeus hides it well, but the prospect of the Titans marching on Olympus personally frightens him. I believe his fear of losing power will outweigh his reluctance.” Athena advised. 

Alex and James nodded. “Thank you, mother,” Alex said. 

“Of course. For everyone’s sake, I hope you succeed.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! I've been busy with a big work event recently and didn't have much time to write. But I finally got it done. There's not a lot of say about the chapter. We've been focusing mostly on Lena lately and will go back to her in the next chapter, but getting the Gods to agree that they need to fight is important for the story to move forward, obviously. 
> 
> I may update this again in the near future to make up for the hiatus, but I also have an Avalance fic to work on as well.


	11. Training II

I.

“Try again,” Lena instructed, the pair of sparring halfbloods groaned but listened to the half titan and got into position again. One struck at another, the other blocking and parrying the attack, following through like they had been taught. “Good,” Lena remarked with a small smile. Training the halfbloods was coming along nicely, though Lena was worried it wouldn’t be fast enough. She was not allowed, nor had it even really crossed her mind, to use some of the rougher, though also more motivating, techniques she used to train the Titan army. Even back then, she admitted that those techniques were brutal and cruel. 

But at the same time, she did not coddle the halfbloods. They needed to understand what was at stake. That this was not a game. Or just a sparring session. These were lessons that would hopefully save their lives in the future. Many would likely not survive the Titan’s final assault, but she hoped that her training could at least give them a fighting chance. One they did not have before she and Sam took over. 

Lena wandered away from the pair she was observing, stepping back to watch Sam, Mon-El, and Winn in their training. Sam was far more similar to herself than Mon-El or Winn. Sam understood fully what was at stake and what it would take to get the troops there. Not to say Mon-El and Winn didn’t understand what they stood to lose, but Demos was softer on their own, including their leaders. Failure was met with sympathy and support. With her and Sam, failure had been met with cruelty and punishment. For them, failure was not an option. 

The halftitan walked over to another sparring pair. “You need to have a wider stance.” She said to one of the halfbloods. “And you need to loosen your body.” She said to the other. The two halfbloods looked at her warily, a look that she was long become accustomed to over the last month or so. But they both listened to her advice, one spreading their feet a little further apart and the other relaxing a little. They then ran through the drills they were working on that day, Lena nodding in approval. 

Most of the halfbloods had finally come around to at least offering her a begrudging, if wary respect. They would never be friends or anything of the sort, but with Mon-El, Winn and Sam’s help, along with Lena keeping her nose clean since she had defected, most of them believed she wasn’t going to murder them all anymore. It hadn’t been an easy path either. Many of the halfbloods had felt the need to challenge her publicly. To which she never engaged. She just allowed them to get their anger out at her. Usually in the form of shouting at her in front of everyone, which she knew she deserved. Then they usually were able to be convinced by Mon-El that actually fighting her would do no good. 

_ “You killed my sibling!” _

_ “You displaced us from our homes!” _

_ “You betrayed all of us!”  _

_ “You’re just here to save your own skin.” _

Lena heard them all before and she knew she’d hear them again. But nonetheless, they resonated through her head. She knew what she had done was wrong. But at the time, it felt like what she had to do to survive. She didn’t expect anyone to understand that. Or give her slack because of that. But she never stopped them from spitting the words at her. Using her to get out their anger. They had a right to be angry. At the end of the day, she was responsible, directly or indirectly, for the losses they had suffered. And she was just the easiest target for the blame, despite not being the only one with a hand in it. 

But she felt that if she could train them properly, train them to use the anger and fear to defeat their enemy, it was a step. A step towards trying to make it up to them. She didn’t deserve their forgiveness, but she would do what she could to rectify her mistakes. 

II.

Sometimes, Alex and Maggie, having completed the first phase of their task and having a week or so to wait for the idea to spread among the Gods, would observe the training of the army. After all, if they were going to lead their people into battle, they would need to know of their capabilities. And even Alex had to admit that Lena was doing a good job. She had managed to inspire at least enough respect for the halfbloods to realize that listening to her, despite their grievances, was in their own best interest. There was a handful that was never going to get there, but Lena seemed to never let that get to her. Instead, she left those individuals alone, letting one of the others take care of them. 

“You have to admit she’s good,” Maggie said to her wife. Over the last couple of weeks, Maggie had been trying to make an effort to talk to Lena more. Despite her reluctance to fully forgive the halftitan, she did miss her friendship. And while the person in front of them was not the same person she once was, Maggie did see a ghost of the old Lena in this new one. 

Many of her mannerisms were the same. She had the same frown when she was stressed. The way she scrunched her nose when she was frustrated was the same. She even had the same measured laugh when she found something funny but didn’t want everyone to know just how funny she found it. No, it was her personality that was different. She was more cut off and emotionally repressed. She had always been a shy individual with people she didn’t know, but this was a new level. Maggie and the woman figured Kara as well, had to physically seek her out to even have a conversation with her. Lena, largely, kept to herself outside of training. Sam seemed to be the only one who had a chance of being around Lena when her walls were even slightly down. 

“I don’t have to.” Alex started. “But I do.” She finished, though with a great deal of reluctance. Alex remembered an 18-year-old Lena Luthor who barely knew the difference between a broadsword and a gladius. And now Lena had grown, though unfortunate circumstance, into a woman who had deadly skill and a competence in battle that few could match. Lena was good. And she had, so far, delivered on what she promised. Even Alex had to admit that. 

“You should talk to her,” Maggie said, nudging her wife. Alex shook her head. 

“I can’t.” She said stubbornly. Maggie rolled her eyes. 

“Why not?” She pressed. 

“I can barely be in the same room with her without wanting to assault her. And Kara would never forgive me if I laid a finger on her unprovoked.” Alex said reluctantly. Maggie laughed. 

“At least I know your love for your sister outweighs your hatred of Lena,” Maggie said before sighing. “What’s really going on with you and her Alex? You’ve held grudges like this in the past. They’ve never lasted this long nor with this much animosity.”  Alex glanced at Lena before pulling Maggie away to a private corner where they could talk without fear of being overheard.

“I know what everyone thinks. Kara and James are already there. Sam never had a problem. You and Mon-El are getting there. But I don’t think I can ever find it in myself to forgive her. It’s not just the betrayal and what she did. I conceptually get it. But she hurt my sister. Badly. She has no idea how many times Kara came to me, crying or unsure of herself because of Lena. Wondering if she was good enough. Or why she wasn't good enough. Or other such thoughts. That’s not something I can ever forgive her for.” Alex said bitterly. No matter how many arguments or fights they got in, Alex would always love her sister above everything else. Maggie gave her wife a sad smile, putting her hands on Alex’s shoulders. 

“She’s not looking for forgiveness Alex. I don’t think she ever will,” Maggie said having heard almost those exact words from Lena herself. “She doesn’t think she deserves it. Maybe she doesn’t.” Maggie paused. “In fact, she probably doesn’t. You don’t have to forgive her for anything. But it’s not healthy to be around her all the time and bottle up your feelings, hide them from her and everyone else for Kara’s sake. Your sister will understand.” 

“I know that.” Alex snapped before taking a breath. “I’m sorry. Lena is just a touchy subject.” Alex said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Maggie nodded. 

“I know. I just want you to keep in mind, what she’s done here? That warrants at least a little respect, don’t you think?” Maggie questioned, squeezing Alex’s bicep a little. Alex reluctantly nodded. 

“Yes, it does. And I do have that respect for her, however little it may be.” Alex admitted quietly. “She and Sam have trained them better than any of us could. They understand what it’s like to live in fear for their lives every day. And how these skills can and will keep them alive, more than just on the battlefield.” 

“And we let them be because of it. Sam is more like Lena than she is anyone else here. Sam has a darkness in her. I think we all want to ignore it, but she does. She has, granted, done a better job at keeping it under wraps than Lena has, but perhaps because she was raised a Roman and not a Greek. Sometimes, I find myself wondering if she had been a Roman, would we be here at all?” Maggie admitted. 

Alex frowned. She had a point. The Greeks had always been the more free-spirited and relaxed of the two cultures. Where the Greeks found peace and philosophy, the Romans found war and bloodshed. Their entire culture was built on it. And as a result, they all learned to control and even channel their inner darkness. The Greeks, they suppressed it. Every living thing had the capability of good or evil, or anywhere in between. Perhaps the Romans way of doing things had its merits.

“Perhaps,” Alex said thoughtfully. 

III.

Sam was blown onto her back with a thud. She groaned as Lena approached her, offering her a hand to pull her up. Sam accepted, getting to her feet and rolling her shoulders. “Your use of your powers is getting better,” Sam said, wiping sweat from her forehead. Lena nodded, sheathing her swords. 

“You said yourself, if I want to stand up to my father and have any chance of coming away alive, I’m going to have to use everything I have, including my powers,” Lena admitted. She had been conditioned by Hyperion to never rely on her powers in battle. She suspected he feared that she would, one day, overpower him if she was able to utilize her powers and her fighting skills against him. So he stressed her combat prowess over her powers, leaving that part of her, largely unused. 

But it was like an unused muscle. It was there and a part of her. And with a little strengthening, she’d be able to make full use of it. 

Sam nodded. “That little laser beam trick was neat. Something you figured out?” She asked. Lena shrugged. 

“Saw it in a comic book somewhere, thought I could replicate it. Hurts like a bitch, but if my hands are bound or something, it’s handy to be able to shoot light beams from the eyes.” She said. Heat vision or laser vision was a common comic book power. Lena thought she’d be able to replicate it with some success. And she could, with some limitations. For one, it was painful. Something that she could use in a dire circumstance, but not something she’d use often. And two, it wasn’t that strong. It couldn’t cut through steel or anything. At best, the beams of light could be used to disorient her attacker or, potentially with the right angle, be used to set something on fire if it was flammable. 

Sam nodded. “Whatever works.” 

“You know you’re probably one of the only other ones I’d trust to take on a Titan, especially if we can’t manage to get the Gods help,” Lena said offhandedly. Sam raised an eyebrow. 

“Really?” She asked, a little skeptical. But Lena nodded. 

“Strength isn’t the only thing you need to have even a snowball’s chance in the Phlegethon of surviving and potentially winning. You need strategy, endurance, intelligence, discipline, all of which you have in spades.” Lena said. 

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Sam teased, nudging Lena’s shoulder. The halftitan rolled her eyes. 

“And I won’t repeat it again, but I’m serious. The others are certainly capable fighters, but they don’t have what it takes to go it alone.” Lena continued. “It an… experience fighting a Titan. Their raw power is almost overwhelming, even to me who shares a part of it.” 

“Then what lets you stand up to it and stop it? I saw you fight Hyperion.” Sam said. Lena sighed, running her hand through her hair. 

“At first, it was Kara. He was going to kill her and I wasn’t going to let him.” Lena admitted. “But that just gave me the push to stand back up. After that, it was for myself. My father has always feared me more than he cared for me. Afraid that one day I’ll be stronger than him. His powers are weaker than they were when the Titans were at full strength. And while they still wield an overwhelming amount of power to their names, they’re not unbeatable. It just takes stamina, discipline and an unwavering sense of self to do it. Not everyone has that. Though you and Kara are well on your way.” 

“Do you really think you might grow to be stronger than a Titan?” Sam asked, genuinely curious. Lena shrugged. 

“Not in power alone. No mortal can hold that much power. It’ll burn through our bodies. I run a lot hotter, temperature-wise, than the average human because my body is housing an abnormal amount of power, but not so much that it can’t be sustained. But my father has always been controlled by his rage, though he will never admit it. Him, Kronos and Krios. Their fatal flaw is pride and anger. Pride because they want to believe they cannot be bested. Anger because they know they can be. He trained me to reject those things. I know I can be beaten. Hyperion made sure that I knew that.” Lena said bitterly. “But he trained me to be able to stand up to a God. The Gods are, just because of their very nature, superior to the Titans. Not in raw power, but other things that make them different from the Titans.” 

“Like?” Sam questioned. 

“They are inherently more trusting than the Titans. They might fight and play power games with each other, but when push comes to shove, the Gods will stand together to protect Olympus. The Titans, they have an alliance of convenience. They stick together, perhaps with the exception of Koios, because they need the other’s strength to win. But the moment that alliance is no longer of use, Kronos will force his brothers into submission and I don't think Hyperion nor Krios will take that sitting down. If they win, they will spend the next century fighting each other.” Lena admitted to Sam. There were things that no one except those with Titan blood would know, or even possibly understand. 

“But before the Gods, they all followed Kronos. Why would this be different?” Sam asked. 

“Because the balance of power is different. Kronos is the most powerful Titan still. But he isn’t as far ahead as the others anymore. My father likely holds enough power alone to challenge him.” Lena took a breath. “And he intends to. Once they bring down Olympus, Hyperion wants to take the throne from Kronos by force.” She said, confiding something in Sam she had never told another soul. When she found out that her father intended to become King of the Titans and unseat Kronos, she had been rather taken aback. The idea that her father could beat Kronos, but it wasn’t so outrageous. Hyperion was strong, stronger than all the others with the exception of Kronos himself and most likely Atlas. And her father was always vying for more power, as showcased by taking up Atlas’ mantel as Kronos’ right hand. 

“So that’s why we need the Gods. Their power is their ability to work together against the Titans who will fight amongst themselves.” Sam concluded and Lena nodded in confirmation. 

“The Titans will never truly trust one another. They won’t trust another to provide them support on the battlefield. And that is their strategic downfall.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly filler with a bit of context/backstory. Supercorp stuff will be coming up in the next few chapters so you all have that to look forward to.


	12. Memories

I.

Lena narrowed her eyes, focusing on Roulette who had a playful, yet somewhat predatory look in her eyes. “You’re getting rusty Lena.” She teased. Lena rolled her eyes knowing that her friend was trying to taunt her into making a mistake. She was far from rusty. She was in better shape than she had ever been. Her training sessions with Sam had really been pushing her limits. Now that she wasn’t afraid of punishment for the smallest mistake, it had given her clearance to test new things. And she wouldn’t spend a couple days recovering from a… training session with her father. 

“Or you’re just less aggressive than you used to be. Has hanging around with the halfbloods made you soft?” She taunted back. Roulette frowned, grumbling something about not being soft before striking. Roulette’s style was similar to that of a viper. Lightning quick strikes before pulling back. She jabbed with her daggers, though Lena was a bit more equipped to handle her than most. Those with large broadswords like Kara or spears like Alex had a more difficult time deflecting the quick dagger strikes, but with Lena’s dual swords, she dodged one strike while deflecting another. 

“Take it back!” Roulette exclaimed while pressing her attack. Lena chuckled, shaking her head and striking back. The two had a rather intimate knowledge of each other’s skills and she anticipated the blow, ducking the swing and thrusting towards Lena’s shin. The dagger caught her shin guard, Roulette yelling in triumph. “Take that.” Lena blinked, sighing. The two were somewhat evenly matched when Lena refrained from using her powers. So she relented to Roulette’s hit on her, pulling her up from her kneeling position on the ground. 

“Good one,” Lena said, breathing a little heavily. They had been at it for a couple hours now and she was starting to feel winded. Roulette nodded.

“You too.” She replied. “So, how are things going you and that daughter of Zeus you have your eye on?” Roulette asked cheekily. Lena groaned. 

“They’re not really.” She said. Roulette frowned.

“Why not? It’s not like there’s anything standing in your way anymore.” She said. “Well besides that overprotective sister of hers, but it’s not the first time you’ve ruffled her feathers.” Lena shrugged. 

“We’ve been busy.” She deflected but Roulette shook her head.

“No, what’s the real reason?” She persisted. Lena narrowed her eyes. 

“That is!” She insisted but Roulette just folded her arms across her chest. 

“You and I both know that’s not the reason. You’ve made time for me, for Sam Arias, even for Maggie Sawyer. You’re avoiding her.” Roulette stated. Lena frowned, then sighed. 

“I’ve always loved Kara, you know that. Probably better than anyone.” She started. Roulette nodded, their past together was set aside when Lena pulled away, but it was not forgotten between the two of them. “But I’ve done some pretty… awful things.” Lena said sadly. “She can’t have forgiven me that easily.” Roulette slapped Lena’s shoulder, rather hard. 

“So what?” Roulette hissed. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To get her forgiveness and make out with her?” Lena scoffed. 

“That is not the reason. I really don’t deserve…” Lena started but Roulette cut her off. 

“Really, enough of this self-deprecating shit. If you really believed you were beyond it all, you wouldn’t be here. We both know that. Stop trying to pretend otherwise.” She said, putting both hands on Lena’s shoulders. “You’re a strong, confident woman who was dealt a really shitty hand. You made the most of it. And you’re here now. We both are. These halfbloods would be lost without you. Even among the lowest of the halfbloods, they speak of you with begrudging respect.” 

“But what if the damage I’ve done to my relationship with Kara is too much to repair?” Lena said quietly. Her greatest fear was that while she would never regret leaving the Titans, getting the opportunity to defeat her keepers once and for all, the person who sparked that strength within her would turn her away. Kara was much too good for her, she knew that. 

“She never gave up on you, Lena. Even when everyone else did. You can’t tell me that when she finally has you on her side, that she’d just give all that up.” Roulette insisted then continued. “You’re just scared you won’t be enough. But take it from someone who knows. You are. And I promise you Kara believes that as well. You just have to open the doors enough to let her in.” Roulette said, shoving Lena backward a little, pushing her by the shoulders. In a former life, Lena might have maimed her for the disrespect, but she wasn’t that person anymore. Not really. 

“I… I know.” She finally admitted. “But…” She started by Roulette cut her off. 

“But nothing! I know you’ve been throwing yourself into training, both the halfbloods and with Arias. But we both know that’s to avoid Kara like the plague. You don’t have to jump into anything, but you’re going to get nowhere if you don’t at least talk to her.” Roulette said. 

“Why exactly are you so invested in my relationship with Kara, especially after…” Lena trailed off, referring to how she ended things with Roulette. Their relationship had always been purely physical, a friends with benefits type of situation until Lena couldn’t take it anymore. She had always felt like she was cheating on Kara, despite trying her best to move on. And having technically no obligation to the daughter of Zeus. 

“What we had was great, Lena. Don’t get me wrong. Some of the best nights at that cursed base. But you’re first and foremost, my commander. And my friend. I want you happy. And Kara is that person for you if you’d let her be. Plus, if you’re head over your heels in love, I’ll be able to beat you more often.” She added with a laugh. Lena rolled her eyes. 

“I won’t make it that easy on you.” She said with a chuckle. “But okay.” She relented. “I’ll talk to her today.” Roulette nodded. 

“Good. You’re giving the poor girl whiplash.” 

Lena went to her room to drop off her gear before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. She stripped down before standing under the stream of water. She just stood there, letting the water wash away the sweat of her training session with Roulette. She ran her hands along some of the scars across her abs and arms, knowing that she had an equal if not greater amount on her back. She healed faster than most with her divine blood, but the wounds still left their mark on her. And to be honest, she wouldn’t get rid of them if given the chance either. 

She was a warrior at heart now. Each scar came with a story and a reminder. A reminder of what she was now fighting against. She quickly finished washing her hair and rubbing the dirt and sweat from her body before stepping out and drying off. She didn’t really want to have a soul-searching session in the shower. Roulette had already shoved enough of it in her face earlier. She put on a pair of clean underwear, followed by a shirt and a pair of sweatpants before heading back to her room. She encountered a few halfbloods on the way back, but none of them really gave her a second glance anymore. And that suited her just fine. She wasn’t there to make friends with them. 

Lena dropped her bag of toiletries on her desk, pulling her hair into a bun. One of the perks of having limited pyrokinesis was that she dried off quickly. A generally useless ability, but one of major convenience so she didn’t walk around with her hair damp. She checked the clock on the wall, seeing that it had gotten to be around six in the afternoon. She yawned, exiting her room and heading to the mess hall to get some food. 

When she reached it, there were only a few other people also of the same mind for food. She knew most didn’t eat until later, which suited her just fine. The halfbloods might not yell at her anymore, but it was still awkward to be stared at and whispered about whenever she walked into a room. She gathered a plate of food, looking for a place to sit.

After a short scan of the room, she found Kara sitting alone at a table with a large pile of food in front of her. Lena chuckled to herself. Some things never changed. Kara had always had the appetite of three large, fully-grown men. She took a breath and walked over the Kara, rapping her knuckles on the table lightly. “Hey stranger. Mind if I join you?” She asked. Kara looked up from her meal, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Lena, nodding eagerly. 

“Yeah, please.” She said, nodding to the empty chair at the table. Lena smiled, sitting down across from Kara, ripping a small piece of bread from the slice she had, dipping it in the soup she had in front of her. 

“How are you?” Lena asked, a little awkwardly, her eyes trained on her food. 

“Okay,” Kara said with a shrug. “Training with Alex and Maggie a lot recently. As of late, also waiting for our plan with the Gods to work. And yourself? How’s the training going?” She asked curiously. Lena stopped eating for a second, looking at Kara and waving her hand in a so-so motion. 

“It’s coming along. They have a long way to go, but we’re going as fast as is advisable. It would be ill-advised to move too quickly.” She said, going back to her food. Kara chuckled. 

“At least they listen to you,” Kara said. “They listen to me in the heat of battle, but I grew up with a lot of these people. It’s hard for them to reconcile the halfblood commander Kara Danvers, and the Kara Danvers who accidentally sneezed once and flew a few feet into the air.” Kara said with a laugh. Lena found herself chuckling herself at the visual of a younger Kara Danvers flying into the air with a sneeze. 

“I’m a different animal than you are Kara,” Lena replied. “You have their admiration. That’s important in a ground leader. They trust you to have their best interests at heart and lead them through some of the most intense moments of their lives. I simply have convinced them I don’t want to kill them and that I know what I’m doing.” Lena said, shrugging, downplaying the accomplishment that was getting a bunch of halfbloods that hated her to begrudgingly respect her expertise, if not her person in full. 

“That reminds me, I meant to ask you a favor,” Kara said. 

“What about?” Lena asked curiously. 

“Do you have time to work with me?” Kara asked. “On my fighting skill and powers, I mean.” She clarified. Lena frowned, tilting her head to the side.

“You’re just about as competent as I am. Better even, you did beat me twice.” Lena said. Kara shrugged. 

“Yeah but I can only train with Alex and Mon-El for so long. They’re talented fighters, don’t get me wrong. Some of the best. But they’ll always hold back to some degree.” Kara said. 

“And you think I won’t?” Lena asked. Kara shook her head. 

“I trust that you won’t hurt me, but you won’t hold back either.” Kara sighed. “I love my sister and my friends, but sometimes I think they don’t take this as seriously as they should. I admit I’m as guilty of that as anyone, but watching you and Sam train, you guys are on another level.” 

“Okay,” Lena said simply. 

“I know that and I just want to… wait, okay?” Kara asked. Lena laughed, nodding.

“You don’t need to convince me, Kara. It’s important that you have the proper skills going forward. Especially if the Titans join us on the battlefield. As loathe as I am to admit it, they’ll likely see you as one of the biggest threats and seek to take you out first.” Lena said, sipping a spoonful of her soup. “Besides, I have a few new tricks that might catch you off guard.” Lena teased. Kara’s eyes narrowed. 

“Well, it can’t be any more surprising than the first time you were able to disarm me.” Kara chuckled. 

“I think that was a surprise for both of us.” Lena agreed. She remembered the moment well. It had taken both of them off guard. Lena had always had a lot of raw talent with swords and more often than not let her halfblood wired brain do most of the work. She trained a lot, but still, a large amount of her fighting skill did come from her innate abilities and a bit of divine help. She and Kara had been sparring when Lena was much less refined than she was now. The two had traded blows for the better part of twenty minutes and both were getting pretty tired. Kara had come in with an overhead slash which Lena had dodged and quickly caught Kara off guard by shoulder bashing Kara’s arm, knocking the sword out of her hand in the process. 

Kara had been ecstatic that Lena had finally been able to disarm her which they had been working towards for a number of weeks. Kara had hugged Lena, lifting her off the ground and making Lena’s muscles cry a little at Kara’s strength. But she had been just as excited. Before she had known Apollo wasn’t really her father she had been disappointed that she wasn’t better with archery, mainly because it made her an outsider even among her own siblings. But nonetheless, she had embraced her raw talent with a sword and being able to stand up against one of the best swordsmen Lena knew was reason enough to be joyful. 

“I remember being super happy for you. I know you took a lot of pride in your sword work.” Kara recalled. Lena nodded. 

“I still do.” She said with a shrug, leaning back in her chair. 

“Oh! Remember that time that we accidentally detonated one of Winn’s prototype bombs?” Kara said with a laugh. Lena struggled to recall that moment but finally was able to remember. It had been within the first few weeks of Lena hanging out with the group before they started their quest. Lena had always been more willing to help Winn with some of his hairbrained inventions than some of the others. She may have been raised in an innovative technology household, but at that point, some of the meshings of the divine and mortal technology were beyond her comprehension. But regardless, Winn was the first person that had talked to her at Demos. She enjoyed his company.

Once Winn had roped her and Kara into helping him develop some celestial bronze bombs and grenades. An idea of Lena and Maggie’s that he had found particularly interesting. The theory was that it would detonate and explode in celestial bronze shards instead of metal shrapnel. Harmless to normal humans, but lethal to monsters. The three had been in Hephaestus’ workshop at the school when Kara had accidentally bumped into one of the prototypes and it had gone off. Luckily for them, Winn was just working on the detonation mechanic and it wasn’t dangerous. It just let off a loud crack and scared the three of them. Winn had been so unprepared he had dropped all the tools he had gathered in his hands, all falling to the ground with an echoing crash on the stone floor and Winn himself had hidden behind the forge before realizing it was just Kara. 

Lena laughed at the memory. “Yes, Winn was scared out of his mind. Took him a few minutes to come out of hiding.” She said. Kara nodded. 

“Ah, I miss that. Everything was so much easier back then.” She said with a sigh. She looked at her watch, frowning. “Well, I promised Alex that I would help her with something tonight, sorry to cut this trip down memory lane short.” She apologized but Lena waved her off, both women getting up from the table. 

“Don’t be sorry,” Lena replied. Kara gave Lena a tight smile before starting to walk off. But before she had the chance, Lena impulsively grabbed her right forearm, stopping Kara from walking away from her. Kara stopped, looking at her… friend? “I had fun tonight. Thanks.” She said honestly. Kara smiled brightly. 

“Me too! I hope we can do it more often.” Kara said, a hint of vulnerability in her voice. Lena nodded firmly, letting go of Kara’s arm. 

“So do I. It’s been hard, to find my place here. And I’m sorry for avoiding you. I just… emotions and I don’t mix very well anymore.” She admitted. Kara stepped closer to Lena. 

“Just promise me you won’t keep shutting me out?” Kara implored. Lena just silently nodded. “You know I never gave up on you. I always thought there had to be more to the story than what we were seeing.” 

“There is, I’m sure. But that doesn’t justify what I’ve done.” Lena said firmly. Kara was about to say something but Lena continued quickly. “I know you have faith in me. But this is about having faith in myself. That I’m still capable of doing the right thing. It was hard, but I don’t regret leaving the Titans. I don’t think I ever will, no matter how hard things get. And I have you to thank you for giving me that opportunity. I’m sure the Gods wouldn’t have given me that chance. And after this is over, I’m sure they’ll require me to answer for what I’ve done.” Lena said. Kara frowned. 

“We’ll get through this together, I promise,” Kara said with conviction. “You don’t need protection, but I’ll be there for you every step of the way.” She promised. Internally, Lena was more than skeptical that she’d make it out of this alive, but if it gave Kara hope in a rather dark time, she wouldn’t disillusion her of just how dangerous she was. And, maybe more importantly, how dangerous the gods thought she was. Kara knew there was a darkness about Lena. And Lena suspected that Kara had finally come to terms that the world she had built in her imagination while Lena had been… gone wasn’t real. But those that were truly in charge didn’t have the purity of heart that Kara Danvers had.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little over a month and I've had the absolute worst time trying to write this. It's been very frustrating. But I finally got it finished. Kara and Lena are going to have a lot more interaction from here on out. 
> 
> Hopefully, this was satisfactory, though you all know I'd be the first to admit this series took a bunch of turns that wrote themselves and wrote me into a corner where it's been a definite struggle to work out. I've enjoyed the challenge though, despite it all. If there were more time in the series, I'd might consider writing in Brainiac and Nia as well, but there isn't enough time really. Though, the way I have this planned to end, it does leave room for an offshoot series that if I decide to write, they may appear in. Who knows.


	13. Persuasion II

I.

“He what?” Lena asked incredulously. Kara sighed. 

“Zeus wants us to appear before the council. You, me and Sam.” 

“Whatever does he want me there for?” Lena asked again. The two stood in an empty hallway in the base, conversing in loud whispers. 

“Our plan worked. There’s been a lot of chatter among the Gods of helping us in the coming battle. I think he suspects how it came about, but seems to have not questioned it further. I think he wants us to debrief him and the rest of the Gods on the idea.” Kara informed her friend. Lena groaned. 

“I don’t know Kara. I know this is an order from Zeus and you’re just the messenger, but…” Lena trailed off, but her concerns were clear. She wasn’t sure if she went to Olympus, that’s she’d come back in one piece, if at all. Kara stepped a little closer to Lena, the demititan swallowing hard as Kara invaded her personal space. The blonde put a gentle hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you. He won’t do anything to hurt you.” Kara said with so much confidence, Lena almost believed her. But she stepped out from under Kara’s hand, back pressed against the wall. She didn’t miss the brief wave of hurt on Kara’s face that was gone as quickly as it had come. 

“I know you’ll try Kara, but you can’t promise that. Your father hates me. With good reason. I’d like to stay out of his way as much as possible.” She said in a slightly louder voice. 

“And defying him like this won’t put you in his good graces.” Another voice said from the end of the corridor. Both Lena and Kara looked away from each other and towards the third person, Sam stepping into the hallway with both of them. “You can’t blow this off, Lena.” She said. 

“What’s the worst he could do to me if I stay here versus going there?” Lena challenged. Kara went to reply, but Sam jumped in first. 

“He could strike you down. It’s not outside his power, you know that. Or worse, he could leave you to fend for yourself. Is that what you want? I know you don’t see it this way, but by letting you be here, he’s actually protecting you. If he had wanted to, he could have insisted if you wanted to desert the Titans, that the Gods wouldn’t offer you refuge. And then where would you be? You’d be out there on your own. And you and I both know what would happen to you then.” Sam hissed. Lena opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She knew what Sam was saying was true. As loathe as she was to give Zeus credit for anything, it was well within his rights as King of the Gods to have turned her away or even killed her. He stayed his hand and put her under Kara’s watch instead. The thought of being out there on her own scared her more than anything Zeus could do to her at a council meeting. The mere thought of being in the clutches of the Titans again kept her awake more nights than she wanted to admit.

“Fine.” She said begrudgingly. Kara looked between the two friends, a tight clenching in her stomach, an unfamiliar feeling to the woman. She knew there was nothing else going on between Sam and Lena besides their close friendship, but Kara couldn’t help the jealous feeling pulling at her internals that it was Sam, not her, that had been able to convince Lena to go along with the meeting. But she supposed, the outcome was worth it. Her father would have not been happy with anyone involved if Lena had refused to appear. 

So Kara took Lena’s hand in hers, the dark-haired woman looking up at Kara with a questioning gaze. “Nothing will happen. I promise. He, as well as everyone else here, knows you’re key to winning. And my father won’t do anything to jeopardize Olympus.” She said. Lena looked a little skeptical. But nodded in agreement. Zeus was the same, but different from Kronos. Where Zeus was afraid of powers greater than his, whereas Kronos exploited them, he did take his mission to upload Olympus’ power seriously, even if that meant dealing with someone he would much rather kill. Whereas Kronos, he would sacrifice anyone and anything to maintain his own power. Even his own brothers. 

“Can we talk, privately?” Kara questioned. Lena nodded, looking at Sam who stiffly nodded once. 

“I’ll meet you two at the gate.” She said, before turning and leaving the two alone. 

Kara let go of Lena’s hand, both women instantly feeling the distance between them. “I want you to know, I’m glad you’re making friends here.” She said. Lena chuckled. 

“Sam, James, and you seem to be the only ones.” She said. “Everyone else hates my guts or is too afraid of me to come within two arm's length.” 

“Victoria Sinclair seems to take to you as well,” Kara mentioned casually. In reality, she had noticed the two spending time together. Or maybe more accurately had been informed of it. She knew, and she knew Lena knew as well, that Lena was watched near constantly. And the two defectors spending time alone together, training each other, had seemed a little suspect to Alex and some of the others, including J’onn. But as they had no proof the two were planning anything, it remained observation only. Lena snorted. 

“Our friendship is complicated,” Lena said without further elaboration. Kara sensed there was something more than just complicated there, but didn’t press. She knew Lena well enough that she wouldn’t divulge her feelings being forced into it. But that didn’t mean Kara couldn’t prod her along a little. 

“Well, I’m an expert in complicated. If you ever want to talk about it.” Kara said, a little cheekily. Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m sure you are by now. After all, you’re my friend and I’m a walking complication.” She teased back, followed by a sigh. “I suppose Sam is waiting for us. We should get this over with.” She said reluctantly. Kara nodded.

II.

Once through the gate, Sam and Lena, led by Kara, made their way to the council meeting chamber. Inside sat all twelve of the Olympians, plus Hades, Zeus sitting by Hera in the middle, glowering at the halfbloods. “Kara,” Zeus said as the three stopped in the middle of the room, Kara stepping slightly forward. 

“What is this I hear about involving the Gods in _your_ war?” He eyed his daughter closely. Kara opened her mouth, but Lena interjected. 

“This is as much your war as it's theirs!” She said angrily. Sam elbowed Lena in the ribs for her outburst, but Zeus had already turned his attention to Lena. 

“What would a traitor know about war?” He replied smugly. “You’re only here at my mercy. My daughter has vouched for your information, but when your usefulness is worn out, there’s nothing stopping the full judgment of Olympus coming down on your head. And believe me, Olympus does not judge Titans lightly.” He spat. Lena sneered in response but said nothing. “You work for your own best interest, you can’t even pick a side. Just whoever you think will help you come out ahead. And know that treachery will land you with a harsh punishment.” Kara clenched her fists at the dressing down her father was giving Lena, but before she could argue, another voice interjected. 

“My lord, perhaps you rush to judgment on her.” Surprising Athena said. Zeus turned his attention from Lena toward the goddess. Athena glanced at Lena, who was standing stock still, but the entire room could sense to simmering anger right under the surface. “She is a valuable asset in this war.” She said, looking between Kara and Lena knowingly. “I’m wary of her titan blood, but she has proven thus far that she wants to defeat the Titans as much as we do.” 

“It could be a trick.” Zeus insisted, his attention back on Lena. “We all know of the Titan’s capability for treachery.” His own hatred, fear, and anger at the Titans on display. 

“But the girl is only half titan. She is also half human. It’s that human half that anchors her. She can change, as can all humans, brother.” Hades said. “Gods and Titans are forever, but humans, they are far less set in their ways. Our father and uncles are incapable of real change, but their half humans children? If we judge this one solely on the merits of her divine blood, we must do the same for our children. And we wouldn’t want to do that, would we?” Hades said calmly. Out of the twelve Olympus, only Hera was more accomplished than Hades at talking sense into their king. 

Zeus took a long, critical look at Lena before turning back to Kara. “You should have come to me, Kara. Not tried to incite a rebellion among the Gods.” Kara shrunk back a little at his stern tone, but still tried to remain confident in front of her father. Sam, meanwhile, subtlety held Lena back from trying to step in front of Kara. She needed to know that Kara could take care of herself. And trust that she would stand up for the demititan. 

“We’ll never be able to win this war without your help.” Kara started. “We know the Titans plan to join their army on the battlefield this time. We’ll be massacred against them. We’re strong, but five Titans could destroy legions of halfbloods single-handedly.” Zeus leaned back in his throne, waiting for Kara to continue. “And after we are gone, there is nothing standing in the way of a full assault on Olympus and you’ll be forced into this war anyway. Would it not be better to stop them before they set foot on Olympus?” Kara asked. “If you ever cared about any of us, we implore you for your help.” 

Lena glanced around the room at each of the Gods. Some were visibly affected by Kara’s words, but others kept their features neutral, making it impossible for Lena to gauge their reactions. Until one god spoke up. 

“I support her Zeus.” Suddenly all eyes were on the sun god himself, Apollo. He stood from his throne, looking decidedly at Lena. “Our children need our help. I will not stand by and watch them die. We’ve sat idly by throughout this conflict, throwing our children into a war that they never should have had to bear. Now is the time to act. They beg us for help. We must give it to them.” He said boldly. Lena noticed an angry fire behind Zeus’ eyes before another stood. 

“My brother is right, my lord. The halfbloods are our legacy. Our own blood. We cannot just abandon them.” Artemis stood in support of her twin. Though she did not give birth to her own halfblood children, many of the Hunters of Artemis were demigods and she saw them as her own. 

“We cannot just risk the safety of Olympus on a gamble,” Zeus argued, power crackling through his voice, so much that even the other Gods felt its effect, some shrinking away from the raw, crackling power. Lena finally felt a bubble burst inside her. She shrugged off Sam’s attempt to hold her back, stepping forward in front of Kara. 

“If you do not fight, the Titans will slaughter everyone. Your children. Your family. And they’ll destroy Olympus.” Lena spoke angrily. “You know better than anyone that the Titans do not show mercy. _To anyone._ ” She emphasized. “You’re grown so detached from the real world. You only think of yourself, not the people, halfbloods and humans alike, that you’re supposed to be patron gods of. People you’re supposed to protect! You’ve sat lazily on your gilded throne and let your power wane. The Gods are more powerful than the Titans, you know this. But the Titans are far better prepared than you and will kill all of you if given the chance.” Zeus narrowed his eyes at the halftitan, getting up from his throne and walking towards the one that would dare speak against him until they were face to face. 

“And why, pray tell me, should I listen to anything one with Titan blood should say.” He said dangerously. And Lena was acutely aware that she was playing with fire, But she couldn’t bring herself to care. Finally being in the presence of the Gods ignited something within her. 

“You of all people shouldn’t be talking about Titan blood. You are directly descended from them. You understand better than anyone else. You know their tyranny. You lived it. If you cared to remember. I sat at my own father’s side during my time with them. I know what they’re capable of. You’ve seen fit to ignore them since you foolishly released them from their prison. If you don’t care about the lives of your children, you should at least selfishly care about yourself.” She spat. 

“You forget your place, girl.” He hissed, raising a hand to Lena. Kara grabbed Lena’s right arm, trying to pull her out of the way before another god spoke. 

“She has a point, Zeus,” Aphrodite said, causing the king of the gods to pause. “We have grown complacent. I remember a time where we fought for the betterment of the world and of its inhabitants.” 

“The girl has guts, I’ve got to say,” Ares said with a laugh. “But I agree with Aphrodite, We have done nothing for too long. As much as we wish it weren’t so, the Titans joining the battlefield will destroy our remaining children. I, for one, do not wish to see any of my children die at the hands of a Titan. That’s not an honorable death.” 

“We should all care about our children Zeus.” Aphrodite continued, nodding her thanks to her lover. “Would you want to send your own daughter to face Kronos and his brothers alone?” She questioned. Zeus stepped back from the three, glancing at his daughter. Despite the difficulty she had been causing him, she was still his blood. She gazed at him, imploring him to reconsider his decision. In a brief moment of clarity, he looked ashamed. But it was gone as quickly as it came. He returned to his throne, leaving Sam and Kara to breathe a sigh of relief that he had not touched Lena. 

“Those that support this plan?” He asked warily. Hands went up around the room. Kara saw Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, the gods that had spoken in their defense. But to her surprise, she also saw Poseidon, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus vote in their favor as well. She knew that Hades supported their decision, but he did not have an official seat on the council. Since the war began, he had been invited to take part in those meetings relating to the war. But he was not one of the twelve Olympians. And that only left Zeus and Hera against the movement. Zeus sighed. 

“Your motion is supported by the majority of Olympus, we will support you in the coming battle.” He relented. Kara smiled excitedly. One step closer towards their plan to defeat the Titans. But Lena ignored the excitable halfblood beside her. Instead, her gaze with fixed on Zeus, who was also glaring back at her. A dangerous glint in his eyes. She knew their squabble was far from over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaack. 
> 
> I've had some killer writer's block for the last couple of months, but I've finally been getting the juices flowing to finish this up. It's been almost two years since I started this series, and it's high time I finish it. I'm hoping to have the entire story completed by the end of February if all goes well. Which would also end the series. 
> 
> I've loved this project, even though it's gotten away from me multiple times and caused me a fair share of headaches. And I hope it's something you've all been enjoying as well. But it's time to start something new. 
> 
> Anyways, enough being sappy. There's really not a whole lot to add to this chapter as far as context that you won't get later on and I don't want to spoil anything. Just that Lena and Zeus really do fucking hate each other.


	14. Preparation

I.

After Zeus ended the meeting, promising that the Gods would meet again to discuss their options before summoning the halfbloods back, Sam, Lena, and Kara made their way back to the gate to their headquarters. “That could have gone worse,” Kara said, trying to fill the silence between the three. Sam shrugged. 

“We got what we came for, that’s really what matters.” She said. Kara glanced at Lena, but she had been silent since they had left the council building. 

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, jolting Lena out of her thoughts. She focused her attention on Kara. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” She said, unconvincingly to Kara, but she decided not to pry for the moment. Instead, when they made it back to base, she went in search of Alex and the others, wanting to discuss their next step as soon as possible. That left Sam and Lena to make their way to the council room on their own. 

“What you did back there was reckless you know? He was real close to just killing you then and there.” Sam said. Lena sighed. 

“I know. But it worked, didn’t it?” She retorted. Sam grabbed hold of Lena’s forearm, stopping her from walking any further. 

“Yes, but that was unnecessary. You and I both know Kara had it under control.” Sam said. “You don’t need to continue thrusting yourself into harm’s way because you feel like you have something to make up for,” Sam said. Lena bristled. 

“I’m not. But Zeus should understand the stakes. He has been living in ignorance for too long.” Lena insisted. Sam chuckled. 

“I think if you met Jupiter, you would have a different point of view,” Sam said. “Zeus’ Roman side is far more mindful of the war and the stakes. That seems to have emphasized Zeus’ anger and fear, rather than strategy. Because he hasn’t been king of the gods for this long for nothing.” Sam confided in Lena. She rarely spoke of the Roman gods because intermingling the two too much wreaked havoc on the Gods themselves. Their Greek and Roman sides warring with each other. Luckily, the two sides didn’t come in contact much. Sam’s presence with the Greeks was controllable. Too much more though and they would have another problem at hand. 

“Sometimes I wonder my life would have been easier if I had been born a Roman instead,” Lena admitted. Sam shrugged. 

“Perhaps, but we’ll never know. Maybe things would have been more difficult. From what I understand, you were quite the shy type before your quest.” Sam said, having heard the story both from Kara and Alex, albeit slightly different versions. “We don’t really take very kindly to the quiet kinds.” Lena snorted. 

“I kept to myself certainly. Being thrust into a whole new world of being. But I have always been trained to keep my cards close to my chest. I’m not a Luthor for no reason.” 

“Ah, the infamous Luthors. I’ve heard a bit about your family. Didn’t your brother just get sent to prison?” She asked. Lena raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

“I… don’t know. I admit I haven’t kept up with the Luthors. I’ve been a bit preoccupied.” She joked. Sam laughed. 

“You have indeed. Have you given any thought as to what you’ll do when this is over?” Sam asked. Lena shook her head. 

“I haven’t wanted to think about it. My fate is up to Olympus after all. I don’t want to make plans if I’m to die after this is over.” She shrugged, talking casually about her potential death. 

“I guess I understand that. But I think you should give it some thought. You never know when you’ll be able to strike a deal.” 

“Honestly, when this is all over and if I’m allowed to live, I’m leaving this world. There’s too much pain. I’ll forever be looked at like a traitor. The whispers behind my back. The outright hostility. No, I don’t belong here anymore.” Lena confided in her friend. Sam put a firm hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

“I’ll support you whatever choice you make. I respect the hell out of you. You’ve made hard choices in this war. Wrong and right. But at least you’ve come to terms with the wrong. Everyone else might not understand, but you’d have made an outstanding Roman.” She said. Lena nodded appreciatively, glad to at least have one uncomplicated friendship in her life. 

II.

Soon, the entire council had gathered, all sitting in their respective seats with Sam and Lena leaning up against a wall together. “The Gods had agreed to support us in the battle,” Kara said with some excitement. “The plan worked!” She said, purposely leaving out the part where Lena had provoked them into it. “They’re deliberating on their next move and will summon us when they have decided.” 

“That’s all well and good, but we need to talk about what comes next,” Alex said. “We don’t even know when the Titans are going to strike. Our scouts haven’t reported back with anything critical in weeks.” 

“I do not know for certain when they will strike.” Lena provided. “But it’ll be soon. Weeks if not less. The Titans may be licking their wounds, but they will not want to give you too much time to prepare, especially because you have me and Roulette on your side.” 

“We should take the fight to them!” Mon-El spoke up. Lena looked at him sharply.

“That would be suicide. You can’t fight them like that. Their home field advantage will eliminate any advantage the Gods help will give you.” Lena said. Mon-El went to argue, but Alex stopped him. 

“She’s right,” Alex said to everyone’s surprise. They could count the number of times Alex agreed with Lena on one hand. “It would be a suicide mission to assault Orthys. Even if we had the help of the Romans, which we might not.” Alex looked to Sam. The Roman halfblood shook her head. 

“It would be ill-advised to have Romans and Greeks fighting side by side with the Gods present. They would be a detriment more than an asset in that instance.” She said. Alex nodded, taking Sam’s knowledge into account. 

“Then we continue training until we hear from our scouts,” J’onn said. “There’s nothing else we can do but prepare until we have more information on the timeline.” 

“I agree,” Lena said. As did everyone else. 

“Then we’re agreed. Everyone, refocus your energy towards training. Now that we have the Gods behind us, we can leave that for now. Kara, let us know when they’ve finished deliberating on what they plan to do. For now, we all train our hardest.” Alex said, as their de facto leader. Nodding around the table at the plan before everyone started filtering out of the room. Kara got up, approaching Lena before she had a chance to slink off. 

“Hey Lena, do you think we could get started on training today?” She questioned, both because she wanted to spend time with Lena as well as actually wanting to train with the demititan. Lena hesitated, coming up with an excuse that she needed to attend training that day with the rest of the halfbloods. But Sam stepped in. 

“Go, Mon-El and I can handle it today. I can get Maggie and Alex to step into your place if need be. It’s important Kara gets more training. And you’re best equipped to do it.” Sam said, chuckling at Lena’s scowl. But Lena nodded in agreement. 

“Sure, I’ll meet you in the training hall in twenty minutes?” She suggested. Kara’s eyes lit up and she nodded. 

“I’ll see you there!” Kara said before bouncing out of the room. Sam laughed. 

“She certainly doesn’t let the stress of her position get to her.” 

“She certainly doesn’t,” Lena said, worlds away from the conversation. Lena exited the council room, making her way to her own room to pick up her swords and daggers. She opened the door, shutting it behind her. She padded over to her desk, where she kept her multiple knives and their holsters, strapping one to her left bicep and one around her right thigh. She wasn’t an expert with knives, but they did come in handy time and again. 

Lena knew in the back of her mind that it was beyond likely that Kara would be facing off against a Titan. Which one she wasn’t sure of, but Lena was determined to take it upon herself to prepare Kara to be able to have the best chance of standing up to Kronos himself. Which if Lena was being honest with herself, was a distinct possibility. 

II.

Kara was waiting for Lena in the training hall when the demititan arrived. She smiled at Kara, beckoning for her to follow. She led Kara to a small room off the main hall where she often trained with Sam or Roulette. Kara had her large broadsword in hand, following closely after Lena. “Now, I know you’re capable of kicking my ass, but let’s see where we are.” Lena teased. Kara rolled her eyes. 

“Bring it!” Kara said, gripping her sword in both hands. Lena smirked, drawing both her swords, dropping into a defensive stance. As expected, Kara made the first move, but instead of striking high like Lena expected, she made a mid-height swing which Lena had to swerve to parry, just barely blocking the blow and deflecting it. Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“Impressive,” Lena said. “But not quite good enough,” Lena said, stepping forward herself, ducking down and swinging low. Kara jumped back, her aerokinesis propelling her further than a normal halfblood. Lena chuckled, backing away from Kara. “I see how it is.” She said, using her speed to flash forward, suddenly appearing behind Kara, pushing her forward with her hand, the blonde stumbling slight. 

“Hey!” Kara said, regaining her footing and spinning to face Lena. “Super speed is so unfair,” Kara said. Lena shrugged. 

“The Titans aren’t going to play fair. You have to use all of the tools you have available. This isn’t just training Kara. You’ve got to understand this is a fight for your life. There are no rules. Don’t hold yourself back to some arbitrary rules with your powers that you can bet that anyone you go up against will not follow.” Lena barked. Kara frowned, but nodded stiffly, gathering herself again. She often held her enhanced strength back because she didn’t want to hurt anyone. Even in battle though she could probably cut through multiple halfbloods without a sweat. “Don’t worry about hurting me Kara, I can take whatever you can dish out. I promise. I’m doing this to make you better.” Kara hesitated but the glint in Lena’s eye made her nod. 

She released a little grip on her strength, though not all the way because she was sure she could actually kill Lena if she let herself go completely. But she tightened her stance, going for a downward swing, Lena catching the blade between her own, but the demititan grunted from the force, causing her to struggle a little. “Good, Kara,” Lena said through gritted teeth, struggling against Kara’s strength. While Lena had enhanced strength of her own, she knew it was nowhere near Kara’s unfettered strength. Lena had always been more of a speedster. 

With a groan, Lena forced Kara back, cautiously backing away from the demigod. Kara then summoned her powers, blowing a gust of air in Lena’s direction, the halftitan bracing herself, though the air blast forced her further back, her swords crossed in front of her in an effort to lessen the blast. When she recovered, she found Kara closing the gap between them, forcing her to duck out of the way of Kara’s swing. She jumped to the side, out of the way, following through with a hit of her own, jabbing Kara in the side with her fist, not wanting to stick her with a sword when she could avoid it. Just proving to Kara that she could have gotten a hit in would do. Kara grunted from the impact but didn’t let it slow her down, turning to Lena, using her air powers to propel her into the air, jumping behind Lena before kicking her in the back, causing Lena to go sprawling to the floor. 

The demititan turned onto her back, letting go of her swords briefly and grabbing them again as she saw Kara charging her way. She scrambled to her feet quick enough to be able to block Kara’s next swing, but she was winded from the kick and dropped to her knee in order to hold off Kara’s cut. Lena knew she couldn’t hold off this position for long, so she used what strength she had to push Kara back slightly, rolling out from under her, getting back to her feet. She had never known Kara to be particularly heavy-handed, but she wasn’t going to complain. This is what Kara needed. To realize that her powers weren’t something to be afraid or something that needed to be hidden. They certainly needed to be controlled, but they were something to be used. 

Lena remained out of arm’s length of Kara, knowing full well that the halfblood could bridge the gap in the blink of an eye if she wanted. She warily eyed Kara, waiting for her to make the next move. Her breathing was getting heavy from some of the exertion of trying to fend her off, but from the looks of it, Kara was also tiring from extending her powers more than she was used to, a place that Lena was very familiar with. So instead, she took her opportunity, noticing throughout their fights over the years that Kara tended to favor her right side. Lena swung with one blade, aiming for her right, predicting correctly that Kara would block, then following up with a swing of the other sword to the left, the blade cutting Kara a little, the demigod hissing from the pain. While she was distracted, Lena managed to knock the sword out of Kara’s hand, the heavy broadsword landing on the ground with a clang. 

Lena immediately dropped her own swords, making her way over to Kara to check her cut, the halfblood holding her side with a little blood dripping from the wound. “Let me see it,” Lena said quietly. Kara winced, removing her hand which had a smear of blood on it. Lena’s sword had cut through Kara’s blue t-shirt and cut into her skin. Though the cut wasn’t that deep and the blood flow was slowing down. Lena bunched up Kara’s shirt, pressing it into the wound in an effort to stop the blood flow completely. Kara hissed in pain. “I’m sorry,” Lena said honestly. She hadn’t meant to cut into Kara. She had just meant to graze her with her sword, not leaving a trace. Just enough to simulate a strike. 

“S’not your fault,” Kara grunted. “I got sloppy.” Lena shook her head, still focusing on Kara’s side. 

“I’m the one who got sloppy. I didn’t mean to cut you. Just brush up against you. I should have more control than that.” Lena mumbled. 

“You didn’t mean to.” Kara insisted. “We’re sparring with live swords. We both knew the risks of that.” Kara said, grabbing hold of Lena’s forearm to steady herself. 

“Why are you so forgiving all the time?” Lena murmured. She didn’t really understand it herself. All her life, even before all the Greek God stuff, she had been brought up to give back better than she got. She knew that all things being equal, Kara could have easily ended up as a bitter young woman. 

“You misunderstand,” Kara said, less pain in her voice. Lena pulled the shirt away from the wound to see that it had stopped bleeding. She sighed in relief, sitting down on the ground next to Kara. “You see the world as intentional cause and effect. For every action, there is a reaction. That’s true. But you see every action as intentional. You always have.” Kara said. Lena opened her mouth to argue the point, but Kara didn’t let her. “But something things just are. Mistakes happen. No single individual is at fault. It’s not forgiveness to say that. It’s understanding. I understand why you made the choices you did with your life.” Kara said, moving into a complicated area of discussion, but one they both knew they needed to air out eventually. “I don’t agree with them, certainly. But I understand them. Do I wish you made different choices? Every day I wish that.” Lena found herself nodding. Most days she wished her choices had been different. "Does understanding what you did make me automatically forgive you? No"

Kara continued. “But you can’t go back and change the past. You can only move forward. It’s another thing I know about you. You often live in the past. Your regrets. Your actions you know now to be wrong. You dwell on them. You shouldn’t forget them, but you shouldn’t continue to be haunted by them. I see it in your eyes. You made your choices. You made your mistakes. You’re here trying to atone for them. You’re trying to right the wrongs. That alone is a testament to who you are.”

“And who do you think I am?” Lena asked, genuinely curious. 

“You’re a complicated woman who tries to be a survivor.” Kara said simply. Lena frowned. 

“Tries?” Lena asked. Kara just shrugged. 

“You do what you must to survive, but underneath it all, there’s still a part of you who believes in something more. I saw it today.” Lena just blinked, silent. 

“I just…” Lena trailed off, lost for words. She knew Kara was intelligent and articulate, but this was some of the deepest reflection the two had had in a long time. 

“You know, I wondered if it was left in you. Until that moment. I wondered if you cared about anything but yourself.” Lena found herself prickling defensively. “But standing up to my father? Knowing he would relish in killing you. And for you to have gained nothing in your quest to survive from the action. I knew you still had it then, no matter how deep you’ve buried that part of you. It’s still in there.” Kara finished, sitting back a little, careful not to reopen her cut. 

“I wasn’t going to sit by and watch Zeus take away your only chance to win,” Lena said quietly. Kara smiled, resting her head on Lena’s shoulder. The demititan blushed a little but remained still. 

“And that’s why I know you are sincere in your effort to right your wrongs. You didn’t do this for yourself. You did this for everyone.”    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... 
> 
> Basically, I have 4.5 chapters to complete writing before I'll be finished with this. My plan is to post a chapter about every 2 days because if I stick to that timeline, it'll be done on Feb. 25 which is about as close as I can find to exactly 2 years since I started Ascension. Idk, I thought it was kinda a nice set of bookends. 
> 
> Should be able to get it in time, we'll see. Ya'll know I'm notorious for not keeping my promises lul. 
> 
> Anyways, I feel like this chapter is slightly OOC Kara (from canon at least). But it kind of has to go this way from how I've built both Kara and the end of the story. It'll make sense later. Honestly, I think I've been writing/interfacing with Avalance for so long that Sara Lance is bleeding into all of my characters, even if that's not appropriate to the character I'm currently writing xD 
> 
> One thing I've been finding after not writing this for two months then coming back and basically finishing the entire second half in a week is that I've emphasized characters (namely Sam) that I hadn't spent proper time on in the beginning. She'll end up probably being one of the most important characters in the back half, which I don't think any of you will complain about. 
> 
> (Also, start getting excited for chapter 20. Its a monster of a chapter which I'm giving to you all at once)


	15. Apology

I.

Training continued over the next couple of days. Lena’s time was spent packed with so much that she found herself spending the vast majority of her day in the training hall. If she wasn’t helping Sam and Mon-El with training the troops, she was sending the rest of her free time with Kara. 

Lena knew Kara was a fast learner, but she hadn’t ever had the opportunity to appreciate how fast. When Lena first attended Demos, Kara was the master. And while Lena wouldn’t necessarily say she was the master now, she had expertise that Kara lacked and needed. There were very few halfbloods anywhere near as powerful as Kara and therefore, most couldn’t quite understand the massive scope of her powers. Her aerokinesis alone could take Lena and Kara years to uncover, but as it was, they had a limited amount of time. So they focused on skills that would help Kara in battle. 

One such skill was using her air manipulation ability to run faster. That, coupled with her immense strength would give her a massive edge against any common foot soldier and a fighting chance against a Titan. Throw in the Titan power that rest within Kara, that made her kind of power secondly only a divine being. “C’mon Kara, race you,” Lena said, a playful glint in her eye. The two stood neck and neck on the track, Kara puffing up her chest confidently. 

“You’re on! First one to 4 laps wins!” Kara said before racing off without warning. Lena chuckled before darting off after her. The two had been working on discovering just how far Kara could push her powers, as well as what a safe limit was. Like all halfbloods, Kara was bound by her bodily limits. She could only utilize her powers in such a manner for a limited amount of time. So far, Kara hadn’t been able to push her speed to be able to outrun Lena, nor out endure her, but she was getting closer each day. A positive sign. 

Despite the head start, Lena caught up to Kara quickly, overtaking her. Though not without some effort on her part. Lena waved teasingly at Kara as she passed, darting around the track to complete her first lap. She fell into a steady, maintainable pace, though staying a couple steps in front of Kara at all times, even when the blonde pushed herself to catch up. It wasn’t long at all before Lena passed the 4 lap mark, Kara only a few seconds behind her. Both women were breathing heavily from the workout. “Good try. You got a lot closer that time.” Lena said, gulping down air. 

“Swordplay tomorrow?’ Lena asked, checking the clock on the wall. They only had five minutes before a council meeting that Alex had called. Kara nodded. The last few days had been alternating sword practice and power exploration. Kara, who was a master swordsman herself, found herself learning a few tricks from Lena and vice versa. Lena knew that Kara still had a lot to teach her and she found pleasure in simply spending an afternoon with Kara swapping techniques. Something that she would not have been able to do only a few years ago. 

Lena sighed, getting up from the bench she had been collapsed on, offering her hand to Kara, who accepted it, pulling her to her feet. “C’mon, Alex will have our heads if we’re late.” Kara laughed but nodded. 

II.

As it turned out, they were still the last ones to arrive. Lena went to take her spot next to Sam while Kara went to her chair next to James. When everyone had gotten situated, Alex stood up, throwing a folder on the table. “Our scouts finally reported back.” She said. Lena frowned, while the rest of the room sat forward in anticipation. “The Titans plan to strike Olympus within 2 weeks.” Lena nodded slightly while everyone else looked around the room in unease. 

“So soon?” Winn asked. Alex nodded. 

“I’m surprised it has taken them this long to be honest. I think Roulette and Lena leaving them pushed their timeline back some.” She glanced at Lena as if asking for her opinion. Lena just shrugged. 

“Perhaps. I’ve never known them to really care about changing the timeline because we lost an asset, but I suppose for what they see as the final assault, they’d want to have more time with the loss of their ground commander and one of their captains.” Lena supplied. Alex nodded stiffly. Tensions between the two hadn’t decreased any, but they seemed to have come to an unspoken understanding. 

“So what do we do?” Winn questioned with some unease. 

“We continue training as we always have,” Maggie said. “We have a maximum of 2 weeks to get everyone into fighting shape. Now more than ever we need to be united.” There were nods of agreement from around the room. 

“Kara, how’s training been going?” Mon-El asked. Kara brightened up. 

“It’s been great! Lena’s been helping me master my powers and I’ve learned a few new things with the sword.” She replied. Mon-El groaned. 

“Thanks for that, Lena.” He said. “Like she needed any more ways to kick my butt.” He complained. Lena just shrugged unapologetically. He waved her off, turning his attention back to Kara. “That’s good though. Not that you weren’t good before, but every bit of help is going to count here.” Kara nodded in agreement. 

“I’m with you there.” 

Alex spoke up again. “Kara, what do you know of the Gods plans?” She asked. Kara shook her head. 

“Nothing. It’s been silent since we were dismissed from the council.” She said. Alex looked slightly concerned. 

“You don’t think they’re going to back out, right?” She asked. 

“They can’t.” Sam interrupted. “They voted on it and the motion passed. That’s as good as swearing on the Styx. The Olympians can’t back out now. They’re bound by oath.” Alex nodded. 

“Good, I suppose we can only hope that we’ll know of their plans soon.” She sighed. “I believe that’s all unless anyone else has anything?” She questioned but was met with silence. “Then I believe that’s all for today. Training tomorrow, bright and early. We’ll break the news to the troops then.” 

Murmurs of agreement filled the air before everyone filed out of the room, Lena making her way to her own personal quarters for some much deserved downtime. 

III.

Lena opened the door to her room to see it was not empty. Lena frowned, pulling a dagger from her hip on reflex, barging into the room. The figure inside just raised his hands in surrender. 

“I’m not here to do you harm,” Apollo said. Lena cautiously put the knife down on her desk. “I just want to talk.” 

“I don’t see what we have to talk about,” Lena said coldly. So much so that Apollo flinched slightly. “I put aside our differences because we need your help, but if you’re here for a heart to heart about the past, I really don’t want to hear it.” She said. 

“Just give me five minutes. I don’t deserve it, but I need to tell you this.” He implored, sitting down on her bed. Lena remained standing, folding her arms and looking down at him. For a god, he looked small. And somewhat ashamed. And perhaps it was the shame that made up her mind for her. 

“Fine. You’ve got five minutes.” 

“I’m sorry.” He said. Lena frowned. Out of everything she expected, that was not it. Divine beings were loathe to admit wrongdoing. Ever. She expected an excuse, some sort of weak explanation for his part in the Olympians deception. But not an apology. “I’m sorry for claiming you as my own when I knew that you were not. When Zeus gives an order, it’s folly to disobey him. But I should have spoken up for you when you were hurting the most. And I did nothing.” 

“Why?” Lena asked, a little angrily, some sore memories of feeling abandoned by almost everyone in her life flooding back to her. 

“Because I’m a coward.” He admitted. “I can guide the flaming horses across the sky but I can’t find it within me to stand up for something I knew to be wrong. And that will forever be one of my biggest regrets. And I know you don’t care to hear this, nor do you probably believe it, but I have always seen you as my own, even if I haven’t acted like it for some time.” Lena snorted. 

“If this is how you treat all your children, I don’t know if I want any part of it.” 

Apollo sighed, resting his forearms on his knees. “You have always been strong Lena. From the first day I spoke with you. I knew you were destined for greatness. I am the God of Prophecy after all. But I had no foresight into how the discovery of your lineage would affect you. And by the time it came to my notice, it was too late. Zeus had already branded you a traitor. And I didn’t have the strength to rebel against his rule.” 

“Look,” Lena said with a sigh. “I appreciate your apology and the sentiment, but forgive me if I don’t quite trust the word of an Olympian.” She retorted. He just nodded. 

“I understand. I didn’t expect you to even give me the chance to talk to you, so I’m grateful. And my goal wasn’t to get you to trust me, given everything, I’d be surprised if you ever wanted to look at my face again after this is all over. But I still wanted to be honest with you. You deserve that much.” Lena relaxed her stance, unfolding her arms. “But I’m not just here for a social visit.” He said. Lena cringed. 

“What else is there?” She asked warily. 

“Zeus has requested your presence. Personally.” He replied. Lena’s eyes narrowed. 

“What more could he possibly want from me? If he has a message for the council, then he should have talked to Kara, you know, his own daughter?” She said. Apollo stood from the bed. “Or does he just want to kill me before the Titans arrive so I don’t have a chance to betray you again?” Apollo frowned. 

“I swear on the River Styx that’s not it.” A cold wave passing over the two at the invocation of the underworld. “He needs your help.” Lena just gave Apollo an incredulous look. 

“What in the world could he need my help for? And moreover, he doesn’t just  _ ask _ for help.” 

“Honestly, he’s just asking because the rest of the Olympians forced him to. They all may be wary of you, but they see your sincerity in wanting to defeat the Titans as much as we do. What’s that saying? ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend?’” Apollo questioned. “We have done little since the motion to grant our assistance passed the council. Mostly petty squabbling on the best way forward. We have been detached from the world for too long. We have kept an eye on the Titans, but not a close enough eye it seems. They are powerful, less than they once were, but still a single Titan could destroy two Gods on his own.” Lena shook her head. 

“No. Where they are strong is how they work together. Though only out of fear of Kronos and patience to overthrow him one day. In raw strength, Zeus could easily kill his own father.” She informed him. 

“Then we need your knowledge. The Titans have changed, if not in motive, then in strategy and power. You have lived with them, seen them up close, observed them. You know more about them than anyone living today. If we are to win this war, we need your help.” 

Lena looked at him skeptically but nodded reluctantly. “Fine. I will accompany you to Olympus, but I insist on a companion to come. I refuse to go to Olympus alone.” She said. Apollo nodded. 

“A fair request. Should I be guessing it’s young Kara Danvers you wish to accompany you?” He asked, but Lena shook her head.

“No, Sam Arias.”

IV.

Sam quickly agreed to accompany Lena to Olympus and the two made their way to the gate. “Is it too much to ask why you didn’t ask Kara?” Sam questioned. 

“I didn’t want to involve her in this. Being in the same place as Zeus again…” Lena trailed off briefly. “It’ll lead to some tense moments. I’m not fool enough to think otherwise. And I don’t want to make Kara choose between us.” 

“Why? You think she’ll choose him?” Sam questioned as they walked through the gate and towards the council building. Lena just shook her head. 

“No, the opposite. After everything, I know Kara would choose me. Not Zeus. I wouldn’t want to put her in that situation. Despite Zeus’ more distasteful personality, Kara still loves him. Respects him.” Lena said. Sam raised an eyebrow but didn’t question any further. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Apollo is probably my favorite Greek God, can you tell? (Followed closely by Hades) (Artemis is my favorite goddess, go figure).
> 
> Anyway, Apollo's attempt at reconciliation will be important later. 
> 
> Also want to clarify something as far as skill and power level is concerned, because that'll be important later on and it's not exactly fully explained in the dialogue (something that I regret not writing properly). Raw power doesn't outstrip skill in this universe. It helps certainly. But although Kara is technically the most powerful halfblood in the series, she's been beaten by Lena multiple times because Lena has more skill at using her powers in battle, she's close to, though not quite, as powerful as Kara and their swordsmanship is about equal. Sam is able to go toe to toe with Lena and Kara because although she's far below their raw power levels, she's very good at using her powers in battle and her swordsmanship is equal to theirs. She's not quite on the same level because she lacks their raw power, but she's right under them because she makes up for it in training and power effectiveness. So by Lena training Kara to more effectively use her powers, she's really helping Kara to become what I would consider on a higher level than they both are on now. Because until now, Kara has been holding herself back from using her powers much. 
> 
> A really general hierarchy (in a 1v1 battle) (a combination of using their powers effectively and their skill level) would probably be: 
> 
> Lena/Kara > Sam > Alex > Mon-El > Maggie/James > Winn 
> 
> It's not a perfect scale, but just a general outline. There may have been inconsistencies with this in the past, but as it stands now, where they all are at this moment in the story, this is where it is. 
> 
> This was one of those things that I wished I had gotten across in the story better than I had. And because it's an integral part of how to understand the final battle going, here it is.
> 
> Anyway, hope ya'll enjoyed.


	16. Assistance

I.

Lena found herself standing next to Sam in front of the Olympian council once again. “It seems that your… expertise is needed once again, Luthor.” Zeus said with a disapproving tone of voice. “Were it up to me, we wouldn’t even be here, but as you so eloquently put it before, it is in our best interests to assist you.” He said begrudgingly. Lena felt a little smug at the reluctance with which he admitted that, but Sam elbowed her in the ribs, causing her to nod once. 

“I will do what I can to assist.” She said curtly, earning an approving look from Sam who Lena chose mainly because she trusted Sam to hold her back when it was necessary. 

“We would ask you to give us a full briefing on your knowledge of the Titans,” Athena asked, not a command, but more like a request. Lena nodded curtly at the Goddess of Wisdom. 

“As you know, when they were released from Tartarus, a portion of their power was siphoned. A power that you granted to Kara Danvers if my memory serves me correctly.” She said, seeing a small nod from Zeus. “While not debilitating, that has crippled their ability to gain more power. They are not at full strength as you remember them from eons ago. In fact, a single God could likely take on and have a decent chance of defeating a single Titan. And you have the numbers to take them on two at a time, which would all but assure victory if you were united.” She continued. 

“That said, it is the Gods that need help.” She stated, earning more than a few murmurs of protest. “By raw power, you have more than enough strength to win. There are twelve Olympians, plus Lord Hades,” Lena said, bowing her head slightly to Hades who nodded, “to the five Titan brothers. But they command scores of monsters and demigods. Enough to overwhelm our own army and with the courage and training to attempt to take on a god themselves.” Zeus snorted. 

“As if any monster or halfblood could kill a God.” He said. 

“Kill? No. Distract? Yes. They are trained to keep you at bay long enough to allow the Titans to gain an advantage. By now, they probably know I would have told you of their plan to join the battlefield themselves, so they know they no longer have the element of surprise. But for what they lack in strength against Olympus, they make up for in teamwork. Or obedience to Kronos rather. For now, they listen to his orders and obey them to the letter, though should their conquest of Olympus succeed, they will likely start fighting amongst themselves.” Lena guessed. She knew her father at least was planning to overthrow Kronos at some point. She had been groomed to be her father's successor after all. Her loyalty to him, and him alone. 

“There is so much infighting amongst the Gods that should it bleed onto the battlefield, you’ll be picked off one by one against the five brothers. You have to have each other's backs and trust one another to be there. Otherwise, this plan is all for naught.” Lena said. 

“The girl provides good insight and wisdom.” Athena assessed. “We have been having family spats for far too long. Perhaps it's time to set them aside for the time being while we combat this threat to our way of life.” She said. There were murmurs from around the room. “I’m not suggesting we forget them completely. We know that none of us are capable of that, but I would very much not like to see my family die in this war.” She finished. 

“Athena is right,” Aphrodite said, standing from her throne. “We have forever to air out these petty grievances. But we will not live past the next month if we don’t come together.” Apollo stood next. 

“Lena is like my own daughter.” He said, earning a glare from Zeus and an icy gaze from Lena, but he continued on. “I trust her council as though she were my own.” A strong statement of support. 

“I suppose the girl is right.” Zeus relented. He turned his attention to Lena. “I… and the rest of the pantheon, thank you for coming. Your wisdom has been…. Enlightening.” He said though it was apparent it was difficult for him to admit. 

“I didn’t do it for the Gods.” Lena retorted, earning an elbow from Sam, but she ignored it. “You still and will forever see me as a pawn in your game. I just happen to be a useful one.” She said, looking directly at Apollo who seemed to shrink in his throne slightly. “I have given you everything you have asked me for, I would just have one request if my help come to fruition and we win this war. 

“And what, pray tell, would that be?” He asked. 

“To let me go and let me leave the immortal world behind. It’ll be like I never existed to you. I’ll never trouble any of you again.” She said. Sam looked at Lena, a little surprised about the admission, but not wholly unprepared for the declaration. The Gods, however, seemed taken aback. 

“Of everything you could request; a pardon, wealth, power, you ask to be forgotten. Why?” He asked, sounding a little suspicious of the demititan. 

“I admit, your world has been fascinating to me. The power and magical nature of this world. I used to wish more than anything as a child that magic was real. That people could be superheroes. That mythology wasn’t just a myth. When I found out that it was real, I was wary but excited about all of it. But over the past three years, it’s brought me far more heartache than it’s worth.” She said bitterly. Zeus sat silent, looking Lena over for more than a few seconds. 

“My daughter, if I grant your request, what are your intentions with her?” He questioned, not as a God, but as a father. Lena’s stomach clenched at the answer she knew in her heart was the right one. 

“Kara has given me more chances for redemption than I deserve. Spared my life more than I care to admit. Saved me in ways I can never even begin to repay her for.” Lena said, voicing feelings only her heart knew in front of the entire Olympian council. “I love your daughter. And I believe she still loves me, though I have no idea why. But if she wishes to remain in your world, I would never dream of forcing her to follow me. I need to get away from his life. It’s… not good for me. I’ve learned things about myself I never would have thought I was capable of, only to learn that I was and did things with an eagerness I didn’t think was possible. It brings out the worst in me and if Kara would not follow me willingly, I would let her go.” 

“And if you break her heart in the process?” He pressed further. Lena felt an anger bubble up inside her at being interrogated in front of the whole council, but she wouldn’t back down now. It would only demonstrate weakness. 

“Kara is a strong woman. She doesn’t need anyone to be happy. I need to take care of my own wellbeing. I can’t do that in this world anymore. She’ll understand. I know that. She may hurt for a while, but she has many who love her who would help her through it. Some would likely dance over my symbolic grave.” Lena said, thinking of Alex specifically. “But she deserves more than someone who can’t give her everything she needs,” Lena admitted. Lena knew that she couldn’t give her entire being to Kara while she remained in the immortal world. The whispers. The judging gazes everywhere she went. The alluring call to pick up her swords and just let go that haunted her this very minute. No, she needed to immerse herself in the human world once again. To begin to heal her physical and emotional scars. 

“I will give your request some thought. If you prove to be the asset I consider you to be.” Zeus said after moments of silence. Lena grimaced and she noticed frowns from both Aphrodite and Apollo. “After all, isn’t that what you are? Just a pawn.” He said with a sneer. Lena clenched her fists, wanting to approach the king of the Gods and punch him right in the nose, but Sam grabbed her forearm tightly, forcing her to stay in place. 

“You won’t get what you want if you assault a God. Especially that one.” She said quietly. Lena reluctantly unclenched her fists, wrenching her arm out of Sam’s hand, turning around and stalking out of the room. 

“You should listen to the Roman halfblood that holds your leash.” He taunted, but Lena didn’t look back.

II.

They hadn’t made it very far before Apollo caught up with them. “I’m sorry about Zeus.” He said. Lena just shrugged, not responding. 

“Thank you, Lord Apollo.” Sam supplied for her. Apollo nodded. 

“I know you will never see us as family Lena, but I’ll try to convince him to honor your request. As a parting gift. It's rare to hear anyone speak of a loved one in such a way. The pain you carry, I can’t help but believe I had a hand in it and if this can make up for only a fraction of what I owe you, I’ll try my hardest.” 

She glanced at the sun god. “Don’t get in trouble on my behalf.” She said, somewhat dejectedly, angry at herself for losing her temper like that. 

“It’s what family does.” He said before disappearing, leaving the two halfbloods to themselves to make the walk back to their headquarters. 

“Did you mean what you said back there?” Sam asked after a few minutes of silence. Lena looked Sam’s way. 

“In regards to?” She questioned, though she figured what Sam was referring to. 

“Your love for Kara.” Sam clarified, curious about the nature of the relationship between the two. She had heard some stories from their past, but Lena was always sparse on details. Lena just nodded. 

“I have always loved Kara. I think even from the first time I met her. Of course, I didn’t know what I was feeling back then. But our friendship was as close as I had ever had in my life, not that I had a lot to compare it to. My life had been filled with fake friendships, fake relationships, the whole lot. People using me for my wealth or status. But Kara, she didn’t see any of it. None of them did really. They all saw me for the person I was. And I appreciated that. But Kara, she’s always been my greatest weakness. My love for her.” Lena said, with some bitterness in her voice. 

“As a Roman, I’d be inclined to agree with you.” Sam started. “Love is important in our culture, but it can and is used against you in battle. And as a soldier, you’re discouraged from seeking it out.” She paused. “But if I’ve learned anything from the Greeks, it’s that love is a strength. It’s what makes us better. It’s what we fight for when we have nothing left. You may think you’re unworthy of Kara, but Kara doesn’t think that, and that’s what matters.” Sam finished. 

The two continued the walk back, crossing the gate and leaving each other for their own rooms, Lena thinking about Sam’s words. 

_ It’s what makes us better. It’s what we fight for when we have nothing left. _

The Titans taught her that her attachment made her weak. Tethered her to a life that somehow was beneath her. But the more she thought on it, the more she realized, it wasn’t weakness. It was resilience. It had always been Kara that kept her from giving into her darkness completely. She had never been able to forget the blonde and that had kept her grounded to her humanity, what little had been left her in the darkest places. And despite never being able to fully atone for what she had done to her former friends, they also had kept her sane. Recalling the times when her life had been better. Holding on to those memories. 

It was her attachments that kept her strong and the Titans wanted to break her down, she realized. It was a conclusion that she knew she had always known somewhere, but Sam’s words finally hit that final trigger. The Titans, Hyperion specifically, always tried to tell her that love and friendship made her weak because those were the very things that made her strong. And the things that kept her from giving into her darkness fully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the next chapter will have Supercorp. Because we're finally getting to the end of the war, Lena is starting to think about what her plans for after will be. And Kara's role in all of that. I'm trying not to spoil the ending, so I can't really say much more than that. Just that if I was in some parallel universe where I was still super stoked on Supercorp, I think some of my writing choices would have been different than how this is ultimately going to turn out. That said, I don't think this is an unhappy ending, so don't get too down. Though if you know me, you know I have a very bad habit regarding ships in stories and I'm just as guilty of it here as in some other multi-chapters I've written. 
> 
> Also, I love Lena and Sam's friendship and wish they hadn't just kicked her to off-screen hell to die.


	17. Promise

I.

The morning after Lena and Sam had returned from Olympus, both halfbloods had army training in the morning and Lena was planning on working with Kara in the afternoon. So the demititan woke bright and early preparing herself for the day. She joined Sam, Mon-El, and Winn in the training hall after breakfast, noting the grim looks on some of the faces.

“You just told them, didn’t you,” Lena questioned Sam, who just nodded.

“They need to know.” She said simply. Lena just nodded in agreement.

“Shape up!” Sam barked, startling some of the halfbloods in the hall. “We have been training for this for a long time. Some of you have been training for this for years. We have equipped you as best we can.” She said, gesturing to herself and the three halfbloods next to her. “We believe in your abilities in battle. All we can do now is practice and prepare.”

A bunch of hushed murmuring and some nodding went around the hall. “Don’t just stand there and talk about it, form 5 man groups. Free for all.” Lena instructed. It had gotten to the point to where all of the halfbloods listened to Lena’s instructions without additional prodding from Sam or Mon-El. She wouldn’t have said they trusted her, but they begrudgingly respected her. Or her expertise more likely.

As the halfbloods split into groups, Sam, Winn, Mon-El, and Lena formed their own group of 4. Lena’s eyes darted between the other three halfbloods, Mon-El, ever the impatient fighter made the first move. He made a move towards Sam, who opened a small portal, his sword strike going through and hitting Lena in the back with the flat of the blade. Lena stumbled from the hit, groaning from the impact, glaring at Sam who just shrugged as Mon-El pulled his hand back through the portal, looking apologetically at Lena. The halftitan just shook her head.

“Neat trick,” Lena said casually. Sam nodded.

“And you thought portals were a stupid power.” She said smugly. Lena laughed, suddenly pivoting, sliding across the ground, kicking Winn’s feet out from under him. He went crashing to the floor, landing on his back.

“Gotta stay on your toes, Winn.” She said, getting up from the floor. He just groaned, rubbing the back of his head, subtly grabbing a grenade from his belt. He pushed the trigger on it, rolling it into the middle of the three.

“Get down!” Mon-El said loudly, all the three hitting the ground as they tried to get as much room between them and the grenade. It exploded as Lena put her hands over her head, a small explosion causing some smoke to rise from the place where it detonated. Winn laughed, getting up off the ground himself.

“It’s a fake guys, don’t worry. I wouldn’t set off a live one in here.” He said. “I’m not that stupid.” He said, walking over to Mon-El, pulling him off the floor as Sam helped Lena. Training like this never really helped Winn as much as it did the others. While he carried a gladius at his side, he relied more on his inventions to cause as much destruction on the battlefield as possible, not exactly something he could do in the training hall with the other halfbloods.

“Well, you coulda fooled me.” Mon-El joked. Winn just punched him lightly in the shoulder.

II.

Training continued much like that for the morning. They took a break mid-morning from groups to let the halfbloods rest for a minute before splitting up into different 5 man groups. When lunchtime rolled around, Lena was eager for the reprieve. She, and the others, had been jumping in with other groups after their own group session and usually when she jumped in, all the halfbloods targeted her, even though it was theoretically supposed to be a free for all. Not that she expected any different. But five on one was draining, even for Lena.

She grabbed some food, looking around the mess hall, finding Kara sitting with Maggie at an empty table. She approached the two. “You got room for one more?” She asked. Both halfbloods nodded, Lena, taking a seat next to Maggie.

“How was training this morning?” Maggie asked. Lena took a bite of an apple.

“It was okay. They’ve got all the knowledge they need, now it’s just a matter of getting them to be able to recall it in the heat of battle, which is the hard part.” She replied. Maggie nodded in agreement.

“Very true.” She looked between Kara and Lena. “You two training this afternoon?” She questioned. Both women nodded.

“Yep. I heard you and Alex will be stepping in for me while I train with Kara.” Lena said.

“You heard correctly. Alex is eager to be training with the others more. I know she enjoys being the de facto head of the council, but I think she still misses just being one of the group, you know?”

Lena nodded. “I understand that.” She said, taking a drink of water. “Probably better than you think.”

“The others will come around,” Kara said, mainly referring to her sister, though even she had no real clue if Alex would ever reconcile with Lena.

“They don’t have to Kara. It is what it is.” She shrugged. “Anyway, what have you two been up to this morning?” She asked.

“Helping the Hephaestus kids in the forge,” Kara replied. “Making repairs and stuff.” She said, Maggie nodding in confirmation.

“You know how to work metal?” Lena questioned.

“A little,” Kara admitted. “We didn’t have as big of an operation as you. Everyone had to pitch in where they could. I’m nowhere near as talented as any of the Hephaestus kids, but I can do a patch job no problem.” Lena nodded thoughtfully. Another skill that Kara possessed that Lena had no clue about. It almost pained her how much she had missed in her absence.

“Alex and I were charting the battlefield,” Maggie said, referring to the limbo space leading to the main gate of Olympus. They had their own private gate on the base, but it would only allow for a few people to pass before being locked. Whereas the main gates could be opened and closed at will, making it far more viable to bring an army through that one.  “Trying to figure out a game plan.” Lena nodded.

“I would advise the council to pair up and perhaps enlist the help of a God or two and take out the Titans quickly. The army will crumble if they are destroyed.” She advised. “Kronos and his brothers are what keep them together. They will run or surrender if the Titans are taken care of.” Maggie nodded, vowing to let Alex know about her suggestion. The three finished their lunches, joking and talking about a few memories.

“Ready to go Kara?” Lena asked after the three had finished. She nodded, grabbing her trash, throwing it away before following Lena to the training hall.

III.

Lena felt a hand grab onto the collar of her shirt, dragging her into the air, her feet a yard or two in the air. Lena grabbed Kara’s arm, gripping onto it tightly so if the blonde dropped her, she couldn’t plummet to the ground. It wouldn’t be a fatal fall or anything, it would probably just leave a few nasty bruises. But still, it was something she’d like to avoid.

Instead, Kara punched Lena in the gut with her free hand, knocking the wind out of Lena. The halftitan gasped, letting go of Kara’s arm with one hand to catch the second punch, her hand wrapping around Kara’s fist. She twisted out of Kara’s grip, the halfblood losing her handhold on Lena’s shirt before she used her handholds on Kara’s forearm and hand to propel herself around, letting go and falling gracefully to the floor behind Kara.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, she pushed off again, leaping towards Kara, this time of her own volition, grabbing her around the waist and tackling her to the ground. As they fell, Kara created a bed of air to soften their landing, Kara landing on the ground, Lena on top of her. The demigod struggled, but eventually, Lena managed to pin her arms to the ground. Both of them were breathing heavily, Kara looking up at Lena sitting on her stomach. “Your getting better at flying,” Lena said breathily. Kara nodded, very aware of their rather intimate position.

“I’ve been practicing,” Kara replied, not looking away from Lena.

“It shows,” Lena said, hesitating like she wanted to say something more, before breaking their eye contact, scrambling off of Kara. The blonde looked a little disappointed as she sat up.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked. Lena’s shoulders were still very tense.

“I…” Lena started. “A position like that brought up a lot.” She admitted. Kara looked concerned, scooting closer to Lena.

“Want to talk about it?” She asked. Lena sighed.

“Not really, but it’s just… it felt weird.” Kara frowned.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“You asked me about my friendship with Roulette. It was once more than just friendship.” She admitted with a sigh. Kara raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t say that admission didn’t hurt but she couldn’t have realistically assumed Lena had been celibate for the last couple of years.  Not with where she was and the circumstances of their own separation. “Before you say anything, we haven’t done anything in a long time.” She said. “It lasted maybe six months?” She guessed. “It was a fools attempt to move on. Obviously, I didn’t.”

“Did something… else happen?” Kara asked carefully, still not sure where the tenseness came from. Lena, reading the look on Kara’s face, shook her head.

“Everything was entirely consensual and while she teases me about it, she’s made no real moves since I ended things. But it just brought up one of the things I’ve done that you still don’t know about.” She said guiltily. She knew that Kara had remained alone while she had been gone and she felt like she had failed Kara because she hadn't done the same, now that they were back together again. 

“Well now I do.” Kara said. Lena glanced at Kara.

“You’re not mad?” Lena asked. Kara laughed.

“We were hardly exclusive. I shouldn’t have expected you to not… you know. ” Kara said. “Not going to say it doesn't hurt, and I'll say I'd like to talk about it further after all of this is over, but I am glad you trust me enough to have told me on your own.”

“I trust you with my life Kara,” Lena said without hesitation. “It's something you deserve to know, especially if, after everything is over…” She trailed off, leaving Kara to imagine what she would have said next.

“Thank you for telling me,” Kara replied. “Now…” Kara got up off the ground, offering Lena a hand, who took it and got to her feet as well. “Want to take a break?” She asked. Lena nodded. “Let’s go for a walk.”

IV.

While it wasn’t safe for them to wander out in the open for very long, Kara and Lena decided to exit the base and walked around the perimeter of their magical protections. Kara had entwined their fingers, and while Lena blushed a little when she did, she didn’t let Kara’s hand go as they walked side by side. “What was Orthys like?” Kara questioned. “I mean… we’ve all heard stories, but I want to know your side, if you’re willing to tell me.” Lena swallowed.

“It was… different.” Lena started. “When I was first at Demos, the first week or two, I felt very alone. I was in a whole new world and no real friends to speak of. Until Maggie decided to befriend me. And then I found all of you. And I thought I had found a family. And well… you of course.” Lena said with a small smile before sighing. “But when Hyperion and Kronos threatened that, I felt like… well, there was only one real choice I had. To leave you all behind and join them. I won’t pretend part of it wasn’t for selfish motives, but part of it was for you. All of you.” She added.

“But after I got situated there, things were… tough. The Titans were preparing for their war on Olympus. They had some recruits to their army, but I believe they used me as a way to lure more halfbloods to their side. And I was trained, obviously.” Lena said, Kara, walking by her side, quietly letting her talk. “It wasn’t glamorous, it wasn’t pretty.” She said, somewhat bitterly. “But it did give me the skills to survive this long.”

“You weren’t… uhm... “ Kara trailed off, not sure how to broach the question she had been wanting to ask for years. Something she had heard happened but never wanted to believe. Lena, however, could read it on her face.

“I was.” She confirmed. “I still carry the physical and emotional scars. And I always will. But like you said, I can’t go back and change the past. However, I can give the ones that did it to me a little payback.” She replied. “What about you? What happened while I was gone?” She questioned, having gotten some bits and pieces of the story, but not all of it.

“You know most of the story really,” Kara said, fidgeting a little. “It was hard. For all of us. We all coped in different ways. I was just sad and alone. Mon-El and Maggie, they, I think, were more disappointed than anything. Winn, I’m not sure really. He threw himself into his inventions and didn’t talk as much as he used to. James, well, he wasn’t with us on the quest and thought you were dead for a long time because we weren’t allowed to tell him. So he mourned. Alex, she was angry. And after a while, everyone started to lose faith that you could be brought back. They all saw you as the enemy.”

“I’m sure a few still do,” Lena said. Kara shrugged.

“Perhaps. Then you barged back into our lives and everything for the last month or two happened.” Kara shrugged. “You know Zeus gave me the Titan power in order to stand up to you and well… the rest is history.” Kara said. Lena chuckled.

“Unfortunately for him, that power isn’t as potent in you as it is in me.” She said offhandedly. Kara frowned.

“What do you mean?” She asked. Lena tilted her head to the side.

“Did he never tell you?” Kara shook her head. Lena just sighed. “You don’t have Titan blood in you. Not really at least. Their power doesn’t bond to you the way it does to me. Think of it like an energy drink. You can tap into the power and it can give you a boost for a short amount of time, but you can’t utilize the energy like it’s your own. Don’t get me wrong, it was a potent gift and does give you an edge. But it is unlikely to help you in the way that I think Zeus meant for it to.” Lena shrugged.

“Good to know,” Kara said, pausing. “Do you really think we can win?” She asked.

“If the Gods do their part, yes,” Lena said confidently. “We have the strength and the power to do so. It’s a matter of utilizing it effectively. The Titans have an advantage in numbers, at least as far as their army is concerned, and they used to have an advantage in strategy. Until I left them, that is. They had planned to launch a surprise attack on the gate of Olympus, using the Demos gate. But you destroyed it before the school was lost, so that path is closed. So now, they have to do it from the main gate and they’re down a commander and a captain.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kara said, a little worried. Lena stopped walking, stopping Kara as well. She turned to face Kara, running a hand down her cheek. Kara leaned into the touch.

“I promised myself once that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I’ve let you down so many times in my life.” She said quietly. “I can’t predict what will come, but I can promise you that I’ll do everything I can to make sure we win.” Kara nodded, her cheek still in Lena’s hand.

“I know you will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk, I do feel like on some level this is too forgiving for even Kara (especially given everything... else), but at the same time, I'm not in the mood for even more angst (especially this close to the climax of the story). lmao. So take what you get. I beg. (But I think in a parallel universe where they weren't in this situation, it would have become something of a wedge issue between them that could have taken some time to work out). I JUST WANT TO FINALLY FINISH THIS SERIES.
> 
> Anyway, next up is... Alex and Lena. dun dun dun. Predictions on how that's going to go?


	18. Alex

I.

With only days left, Lena and Sam began pushing the halfbloods even harder. Both women had not been easy on them before, but it was crunch time. “I think they’re as prepared as we can make them,” Lena whispered to Sam, watching them fighting a free-for-all in groups of four. They had steadily been working up from pairs, to trios, finally to small groups. They all needed to be prepared to be aware of their surroundings. Lots would be going on at once and it was easy to be caught unaware by a stray blade if one wasn’t careful. 

“I believe you are right.” Sam agreed. “But until we have a solid day and time, we continue training.” Lena nodded in agreement. She noted Alex, Maggie, Kara, and Mon-El also all fighting against each other in a group. With Lena’s teachings, it seemed like it was more so the three against Kara and she was easily holding her own. Lena couldn’t help but feel proud of the blonde. She was finally starting to fully come into her powers and wasn’t afraid to use them, as shown when she subtlety blew Maggie onto her back, earning a scowl from Alex. 

“She’s improved more in the last couple of weeks than I’ve seen since coming here,” Sam observed, following Lena’s gaze. “She was always an excellent fighter but she’s learned a few tricks of warfare from you,” Lena grunted. 

“And I’ve learned my fair share from her as well,” Lena replied.

“The great Lena Luthor, learning something?” Sam teased in mock shock. Lena laughed, shoving her playfully.

“I’m not perfect Sam.” She said. The pair laughing together. 

“How is it going? Between you and Kara?” Sam asked. Lena shrugged. 

“It’s going. We… agreed to take it slow until the war is over. Neither of us has the time to nurse our relationship for the moment. I envy Maggie and Alex, to be honest. Their marriage is as strong as it’s ever been, while Kara and I still have to dance around the issue until the stress of our potentially impending doom is over.” Lena said absentmindedly. 

“It’s not been all perfect for them,” Sam said, Alex having confided in her on a couple different occasions about marital problems. They were few and far between, but they did happen. Lena sighed. 

“I suppose you’re right. I suppose I’ve really been the one pushing Kara away as it is.”

“Is it because of your request of Zeus?” Sam questioned. 

“I don’t want to get her hopes up to only have to part ways in the end,” Lena admitted. Sam shook her head. 

“You will never know that until you talk to her about it. Kara has a knack for surprising you.” 

“Isn’t that the truth,” Lena said with a laugh. The two continued to watch the groups until one approached her.

II.

“Luthor, you and me,” Alex said, approaching Lena. The halftitan was surprised as Alex tended to avoid her like the plague. But nodded, grabbing her swords and following Alex to the middle of the training hall. Kara, watching her sister confront Lena, moved to try to intervene, not wanting a fight between the two of them to get too out of hand, but Sam stopped her. 

“You have to let them work it out on their own. They’re never going to be able to even start moving past their differences if you keep them apart.” Sam said seriously. Kara stared at Sam before relenting. 

“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt over this,” Kara said. “Alex can really... hold a grudge.” 

“You can’t prevent everyone you love from getting hurt, Kara. That’s not how it works. Your sister has a right to be angry with Lena. And Lena understands that. This is something you have to allow to happen. They can both take care of themselves.” Sam reassured her. “Hey, it’s better than Alex killing Lena in her sleep.” She joked. Kara glared at Sam, clearly not amused at the attempt at humor. Sam just held her hands up in surrender, turning to watch the two. 

“Do your worst,” Alex said, raising her shield, her speartip out in front of her. Lena nodded once, assuming a defensive posture. Fighting Alex was much different than fighting Sam, Mon-El or Kara, Lena soon discovered. The other three were sword fighters, like Lena herself. But Alex chose to utilize a spear, which called for a much different fighting style. Alex had the superior reach, and along with her large, round shield had more protection than Lena was accustomed to fighting against. Each time Alex took a stab at her, Lena parried the strike with one sword, moving forward and swung with the other, always coming up short, metal striking metal against her shield. Lena remained mostly on the defense for the beginning of their fight. She could see the anger behind Alex’s gaze as she watched Lena’s stance and movements. Kara’s older sister had a lot of bottled up emotions that she was now throwing at the demititan. 

“C’mon Lena. I know you’re more aggressive than this. I’ve never known you to play defense.” Alex taunted. Lena frowned, also becoming aware that the entire training hall had stopped their own sparring in favor of watching her and Alex. 

“You’ve been avoiding me ever since I came here Alex. How would you know what my fighting style is like?” Lena retorted, though obliging Alex and closing the gap between them, managing getting past the tip of her spear and making a strike, which Alex blocked with her shield once again. 

“Because I know people like you don’t ever change, no matter what they pretend to be.” Alex hissed. Lena bristled defensively. That hit a nerve. And it stung. She knew what Alex thought about her, but it hurt to actually hear it out loud. Lena decided to oblige Alex. 

She began to analyze the situation, looking for an opening. Alex had superior reach and defensive capability with her spear and shield, but Lena had more mobility and speed with her swords. The key was to get in close and quickly go in for the kill, so to speak. Wielding a shield with a spear had its advantages, but it was notoriously slow. It’s one of the reasons that Maggie and Alex as a fighting duo was so potent. Alex could keep heavy hitters at bay with her reach and those that managed to get past that were quickly taken out by Maggie with her dual daggers. 

Lena moved forward, pushing Alex’s spear to the left, experimentally swinging with her right sword. As expected, it impacted with Alex’s shield, hitting the metal with a clank. The daughter of Athena narrowed her eyes, recovering from the move, jabbing at Lena with her spear. The halftitan sidestepped the jab before moving back to equilibrium between the two. Lena then decided to change tactics. She dropped her body a little, charging once again. This time when she pushed the spear out of the way, she dropped her shoulder, crashing into Alex’s shield with a large amount of force, pushing the shield back towards Alex’s body. The surprise of the hit coupled with the sheer amount of force that Alex hadn’t been prepared for caused the halfblood to be pushed onto her back. 

The fight ended with the tip of Lena’s sword at Alex’s chest, the latter glaring at the former. Lena sheathed her swords, offering Alex a hand. The halfblood reached up, Lena pulling her to her feet. She pulled Alex closer to her as she got up, talking so only Alex could hear her as the rest of the halfbloods had suspiciously gone back to their own rounds of sparring. “I’m not looking for your forgiveness Alex. You don’t owe it to me.” Alex opened her mouth, but Lena quickly continued. “But I do love your sister, even if you don’t believe me. And I have no intention of hurting her.” 

Alex frowned. “That’s what you said the last time.” Lena’s grip loosened on Alex’s arm. “I did everything I could think of to keep my sister from falling apart over you.” Alex hissed, her anger written all over her face. Finally coming face to face with Lena has broken the dam Alex kept on her feelings towards the halftitan. “You have no idea how much she cried over you. Doubted herself because of you. Questioned her worth. All because of you.” Lena stepped away from Alex slightly. 

“And the blame for that rests squarely on me for that. It was never my intention to hurt her, but regardless, I did. I have come to terms with that. It will forever be one of my biggest regrets in life. I put Kara, in fact, all of you, through so much pain and anger that could have been avoided.” Lena admitted. “But let me explain. It doesn’t make up for anything, but maybe you’ll understand.” Alex’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded curtly, having Lena follow her to a secluded corner away from prying ears.

“Talk.” Alex spat. Lena nodded. 

“When I found out the truth. About who gave me my divine blood, I felt like I had nowhere to go. I felt... betrayed, all because of the man who gave me life and those that had lied to me. Even then I knew the Gods hatred of the Titans. How could I not given our quest? In hindsight, the Gods are the biggest hypocrites about that as they are all descended from the Titans. We both share their blood. At least I have human blood in me.” Lena laughed darkly. “But at the time, I had two choices. Live in fear of the Gods, living at their mercy as a tool. A tool to be disposed of at any time. Or join the Titans. I was still a pawn, but I thought I would be a pawn without fear for my life. And I would be protecting you all too. I doubt you remember or even knew, but Hyperion and Kronos threatened all of your lives if I didn’t comply with their demands. It made my decision in the moment even easier. I knew what they were capable of. We were at their mercy. It was give myself up or condemn all of you. If I had known then, what I know now, about what I would endure and what I’d be forced to do. And what I’d do of my own volition…” Lena trailed off. “My choices may have been different.” 

“I remember. The coldness behind your eyes when you agreed to their demands. I saw Kara’s heart break when we were sent back. I’ve wanted to hate you for everything since then.” Alex admitted. 

“And I probably deserve it. Despite the why, actions I’ve taken have hurt a lot of people. I’ve done terrible things in the name of the Titans that I may never make up for, no matter how hard I try. But helping you defeat the Titans is a start.” 

“I’ll probably never forgive you,” Alex said after a moment of silence. Lena flinched a little, though that part of Alex’s response wasn’t unexpected. “But I respect you.” She said quietly. Lena raised an eyebrow. “I respect that you had the strength to walk away from that life.” 

“It wasn’t strength,” Lena replied. “It was Kara. She was the one to convince me. I was ready to die. For all of it to end. For Kara to kill me. Or you, because I doubt even now Kara has it in her to end my life if the moment called for it.” Alex nodded in agreement. “But seeing my father have Kara at his mercy, knowing what he’s capable of. I didn’t hold myself back. In that moment, I felt like he could do anything to me, but I wouldn’t let him hurt her.” 

“And that’s the strength I’m saying I respect in you. Kara might have been the one to bring it out of you, but you were the one to stand up for her. Protect her when I couldn’t. Kara has a way of making everyone be their best selves, but she can’t do it without having something to bring out in the first place. We may always have our differences, but our goal to protect her will always be something we share.” Alex said reluctantly. “And if you tell anyone I said I have an ounce of respect for you, I know where you sleep.” She said before walking away. Lena laughed to herself. She figured that was as close to a reconciliation with Alex as she would ever get. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading this a little early because I'll be at a new job tomorrow (woo) during the time I'd normally upload and I don't know what kind of access I'll have to be able to upload at said normal time. And at this point, I'd rather upload earlier rather than later. 
> 
> Anyway, I've maintained since the beginning, reconciliation with Alex was always going to be the hardest. She and Lena weren't the closest of friends back in Ascension, she was the first to grow suspicious/distrustful of her, and as she's Kara's sister, their quarrel is even more personal than the others. For now, this is as good as it'll probably get. For a long while. 
> 
> Only one more chapter till you get to read chapter 20 (and I'm such a slut for chapters 20/21. You'll understand when you read them). So get excited. (and possibly scared). I'm going to hype you a little now though and reveal the titles of 20/21/22. War, Endings, New Beginnings.


	19. Gametime

I.

As the day of their final battle drew closer, Sam had taken over preparing the halfbloods, leaving Lena to exclusively work with Kara. The daughter of Zeus was nearing Lena’s match as far as skill was concerned, but Lena still possessed more raw power. Since the Titan energy that Kara received was more like a loan. Whereas Lena had full control over her Titanic energy.

One day, Lena and Kara were sparring, with Lena pushing herself to her near limits. Or at least her limits that she felt safe exposing Kara too. Some of her powers really could hurt Kara if the halftitan wasn’t careful. But she easily pushed her speed and strength, forcing Kara to try to match her. And after a week or so of working on it, Kara was able to keep up. Lena charged in Kara’s direction at speeds that weren’t perceptible to the average human, but Kara easily blocked Lena’s attack, before flying up, out of easy reach of Lena.

The two had been trying to work on Kara’s powers of flight, but they had been rather hit or miss, not very reliable. Some days she could soar around the room for an hour, others she fell to the ground after only five minutes. As aerokinesis wasn’t a power Lena possessed, nor did she ever discuss it with any of the Titans, as they were all focused on honing her photokinesis and pyrokinesis abilities, she was largely flying blind in any specific instruction. She more so advised Kara on how to exert energy effectively and knowing when was the right time to use that energy.

Lena jumped up, managing to grab hold of Kara’s feet, weighing the halfblood down. Kara, with the extra weight, lost control and both women went crashing to the ground, falling into a heap. Kara was laying on top of Lena, who was face down on the floor. Both of them started to laugh as Lena pushed herself up and Kara tumbled off of her. “Maybe we should work on me flying with more weight than just myself,” Kara said, wiping her forehead. Lena shrugged.

“I’d more suggest just don’t rely on flight in battle. I’m not really sure if we have enough time to be able to train you properly. Afterward perhaps.” Lena said thoughtfully. Kara nodded.

“Super speed or flight?” Kara asked curiously. Lena chuckled.

“Super speed, every time.” She said.

“Flight for me I think.”

“I figured. You’re such a free spirit, flight seems to suit you.” Lena observed. Kara nodded.

“When I was working on flight before, I loved flying outdoors on campus. To feel the wind and air currents. Feel like you could just keep flying and just keep going.” Lena smiled.

“I can understand why you’d love it,” Lena said. “Do you feel better prepared?” She asked.

“I think so. I feel like I could take on Kronos himself.” Kara puffed out her chest confidently. Lena laughed.

“I’m sure he’ll be quaking in his boots.”

“He’d better!” Kara said, joking feinting a punch to Lena’s shoulder. “What about you? Ready to see _him_ again?”

Lena shrugged. “I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?”

“I guess not, but that’s not what I asked.” She pressed. Their relationship had become stronger with time and Kara felt more comfortable pushing Lena’s boundaries a little.

“Honestly, no. I’m really not, but at the same time, I have to face him. I’ll never be able to move on without getting closure.” She admitted. Kara nodded in understanding.

“Can’t say I fully understand what it’s like, but you have friends that will be there for you.” She encouraged. Lena gave Kara a small smile, nodding.

“I know. I have Roulette and Sam. And you of course.” Lena said.

“You sure do,” Kara said brightly.

II.

The next day, Alex gathered the council. Lena and Sam had become honorary council members, despite everyone’s reservations about Lena in the beginning. “We have news,” Alex said gravely.

“Well don’t just leave us in suspense,” Mon-El replied as Alex had paused.

“They strike in 3 days,” Alex said. Lena nodded slightly, having expected it was imminent. Everyone else had a mix of apprehension, surprise, and determination.

“Then we’ll be ready for them,” James said, everyone else around the table nodding.

“The Gods will need to be notified.” Alex continued looking to Kara who nodded.

“I will let them know.” She said.

“Good. Lena, do you…” Alex trailed off, clearly asking for anything else they could use.

“There are 5 Titans, and eight of us. And 12 Olympians plus Hades. We’re at a significant numbers disadvantage as far as army size is concerned, but if we can take on and out the Titans quickly, the battle will be over before it gets anywhere near breaching the gates. I would... “ Lena paused for a moment. “We should split up and coordinate who takes on what Titan. That way we are at least prepared with a target in mind. Obviously, fighting can make plans change rather quickly, but it’ll have to do for now.”

Alex nodded in agreement. “Then we group up. Maggie and I will take on one of them.” She started, Maggie nodding in agreement. Alex stopped, waiting for the others to decide.

“Winn and I.” Mon-El volunteered, looking at his friend who nodded supportively.

“Kara, me and you?” James asked, looking at her. Kara glanced at Lena who gave her a slight nod.

“Sure,” Kara said.

“That leaves Sam and Lena,” Alex mentioned. “And us down one pair.”

“I will take on Hyperion, alone,” Lena said quietly. Sam looked at her close friend, slightly concerned but Lena gave her a reassuring look.

“Are you sure?” Kara asked. Lena nodded.

“We don’t have another choice. And he is my responsibility.”

“Then Sam, can you operate alone?” Alex asked, accepting Lena’s proposal. Sam nodded.

“I can. Won’t be easy, but since when has our lives been easy.” She replied. Alex chuckled.

“Isn’t that the truth.” She muttered. “Then we’re decided. It’s only a matter of making sure the Gods are present and we decide which Titans to target.”

“If I may…” Lena interjected. Alex nodded. “You and Maggie should find Krios. Winn and Mon-El, Koios. Kara and James, Iapetus. And… sorry Sam, that leaves you with Kronos.” She said apologetically. Sam steeled her nerves, nodding once.

“You can count on me,” Sam said. Lena patted her friend on the shoulder.

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think you could handle it. Hopefully, the Gods will provide you support.”

“Do you have a reasoning for your suggestion?” J’onn asked. Lena shrugged.

“I know everyone’s fighting styles inside and out by now. I knew the Titans very well too. It would take far too long to explain exactly how each counters the others, but rest assured this is the best matchups we have.” Lena reassured the group. Surprisingly enough to Lena, they all deferred to her judgment. Just a few months ago, they would have balked at the idea of listening to her and taking her advice. But they had all come a long way.

“I need… to inform the gods, if you’ll excuse me.” Kara said, getting up from her seat before turning to Alex. “Come with me?” She asked her sister, who nodded, getting up.

“We’ll be back soon,” Alex said, dismissing the meeting. Lena made to leave after them but a hand held her back. She looked over to see, to her surprise, it was Winn that had his hand on her. Wordlessly, he gestured for her to follow him. Which she did.

III.

The two walked in silence to the forges, Winn guiding Lena over to his personal workbench, handing her a familiar looking belt. The one that contained her armor. She looked at him. “How did you get this?” She asked. Winn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I asked Kara to get it for me the other day. I know you haven’t been wearing it to training for a while so I didn’t think you’d notice it missing for a day or two.” He replied. “Sorry, I just wanted to… you know... “ He trailed off, pausing for a second. “Will you try it on?” He asked. Lena nodded slowly, fastening the belt around her waist, pressing the button on the buckle and watched as it opened up and clung to her body.

She looked down, seeing her armor had been cleaned and polished, some of the dents that it had suffered over the last couple months repaired. There was an intake of breath when she noticed that the sun crest on her breastplate was now gone. “I thought that well... Since you’re with us now, you didn’t need that anymore.” He said, following her line of sight.

“How did you remove it?” She asked slowly. She thought it had been worked into the metal, possibly through magical means.

“I got James to help. He knows a couple of Hecate’s kids and together we were able to remove the magic protecting it and I just made a repair over it. I didn’t think you’d mind.” He said, a little awkwardly. He hadn’t been sure about Lena in the beginning, but over time he had come to realize that she really did just have all of their best interests at heart. And that when push came to shove, he could rely on her. So he wanted to give her a little something in return.

Lena examined other pieces of her armor, noticing some newly hidden dagger holsters. He noticed her looking at them. “Never know when an extra weapon will come in handy right?” He joked. Lena smiled, holding a hand out to him to shake. Which he did.

“Thank you, Winn. Really. This…” She gestured to the now empty plate where the sun mark had once been, “means more than you know.” The back of his neck turned a little red.

“No problem.” He said. “Anyway, I just thought to return that to you since we know that we’ll be needing everything we’ve got now. Didn’t want you to think it had gone missing.” He smiled before sighing. “I’ve got a lot of patch jobs and stuff to get to before its time. So I’ll let you get back to it.” He said, turning to pick up a bent sword at his work table. Lena hovered a moment, Kara’s words from the other day coming back to her.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” She asked. He gave her a curious look. “I mean, Kara was saying that you’re understaffed down here. I’m not an expert in metal work by any means, but I can follow instructions.” She offered. Winn smiled, nodding.

“Sure, I could use the help. And the company. Here.” He said, tossing her a hammer, pointing to a dented shield. “Start working the dents out of the metal, like this.”

IV.

Kara and Alex made their way to Olympus to make sure the Gods were prepared. She assumed they probably wouldn’t be in the council building so they wandered over to her father and Hera’s estate. Before the two got there, a servant bearing the mark of Athena approached them. “Athena requests your presence, Alex Danvers.” He said. Alex made to reply but Kara nudged her a little. “Go, I can do this alone. I’ll see you back at base.” She said. Alex went to protest, but Kara insisted.

“It could be important.” She said. Alex sighed and nodded before following the servant away. Kara then continued to her father’s personal estate. Once she reached the main gate, a guard gave her a once over and told her to wait there. He returned soon after, Zeus following him closely.

“Ah, Kara.” He said, patting his daughter on the shoulder. “You have news?” He asked, she nodded. “Follow me, we can talk in my study.” He said, guiding her to his private room. Kara looked around while she followed. She rarely ever visited Zeus at his residence. Hera wasn’t exactly enthused about any of his children. It didn’t help that he had taken a shine to her.

He guided her into his study, shutting the door behind them and sitting behind the desk, gesturing for her to sit in another chair. She took a seat. “So, what news?” He asked.

“We have 3 days.” She replied. “Our scouts came back. They will attack the main gate, but we’ll be prepared to stand and defend it. We just wanted you to be prepared.” She said. He nodded.

“Thank you, Kara. I will make sure the Gods are prepared.” He said, sitting back in his chair. “There’s something else you want to ask, isn’t there?” He asked, seeing the look of indecision on her face. Kara sighed but nodded. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, not exactly sure how to broach the subject. Zeus sighed.

“This is about the halftitan, isn’t it?” He asked. She nodded.

“She’s been a huge help to us. It would be wrong to not take that into consideration.” She said. Zeus chuckled.

“I’m aware of how… useful she has been Kara. Be assured of that. However, her crimes against Olympus are many and I cannot just let her walk free. Even as she has requested.” He offhandedly mentioned. Kara frowned.

“What do you mean?” She asked. He raised an eyebrow.

“You mean she has not told you?” He asked. She shook her head. Zeus scoffed.

“Some love she has.” He muttered. “When she was here with Sam Arias at the request of the other Gods, she asked me to leave her be. And in exchange, she would leave for the human world.” He clarified. Kara blinked.

“She did?” Kara questioned and he nodded. “Are you going to…” Kara trailed off. He shrugged.

“I have yet to see her perform on the battlefield. If it is as you say, and the attack will come in three days time, then we shall see.” He replied. Kara nodded once.

“I just… consider it, please.” She begged. Zeus sighed.

“I will. Now, I believe you are probably needed elsewhere. The Gods will be at the main gates in three days.” He said, getting up as Kara did as well. She bowed slightly before taking her leave, going off to find Lena.

V.

She found her still at the forges, helping Winn repair a few swords. Kara stood back a little, both Lena and Winn not noticing her presence. She smiled, knowing that Winn had fixed her armor and added a few new features to it. And now Lena was helping him with repairs. Something that would have been unheard of only a few months ago. Lena had come a long way from where she started. She let them work for a few minutes before approaching. Lena spotted her first.

“Kara. How did it go?” She asked, setting down the hammer in her hand. Kara glanced at Winn before looking back at Lena.

“Can we talk? In private.” She asked. Lena looked concerned but nodded. She followed Kara wordlessly until they closed the door behind them in Kara’s room.

“What’s wrong?” Lena blurted out. Kara turned to face Lena.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, hurt shining in her eyes. Lena frowned.

“About what?” She asked.

“Your request to my father!” She shouted. Lena shrank back a little. “He told me that you asked him to leave.” She said, trying to calm herself down. Lena swore under her breath, then approached her and put both hands on her shoulders.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t trust you. Or didn’t want you to know.” She said, reaching down and lifting Kara’s chin to force the blonde to look at her. “I was scared.” She admitted quietly. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up after the war if you wouldn’t come with me. Follow me. I would never want to take you away from your life and friends here.” She said. “But I can’t be here. If I survive this, which there’s a good chance I won’t, I didn’t want to promise you something that I don’t know if I can give.”

Kara glared at Lena, angrily pushing the halftitan against the door. Lena, for her part, tensed up but kept still. She knew Kara wouldn’t hurt her. “I love you, Lena, dammit.” She said angrily. Lena raised an eyebrow at even a half swear word coming out of Kara’s mouth. “I’d follow you anywhere.”

“But…” Lena said but Kara cut her off.

“You’re not forcing me to give up anything. You never said I couldn’t visit my family and friends. And I’m always ready for a new adventure. I had no idea what I was going to do after all this is over, even if you hadn’t come back. My time at Demos was over a long time ago. And if I have you by my side, I’m sure I can figure it out.” She finished. Lena grinned, leaning in and kissing Kara on the lips. The blonde melted into her as Lena put a hand on Kara’s hip.

“You mean that?” Lena asked after they separated. Kara nodded.

“I promise. I just got you back, I don’t want to lose you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know who got the idea that I was going to wipe their memories but I admit it was funny to play along. But yeah, no. That was never the plan and isn't the plan. Everyone will get out of this with their memories intact. And I haven't deviated from my original outline either. Much. And I think the changes I've made from the original idea, everyone will like. 
> 
> Also, I know it generally would make more sense for Sam/James and have Kara be on her own but like a couple of other events prior, it has to go this way for the rest of the story to make sense. Just... suspend disbelief pls. I beg. 
> 
> Anyway, next chapter is chapter 20 and honestly, I'm super hyped for it. It's gunna be good. I hope ya'll will agree with me lol. I checked, chapter 20 is over 5k words. So it's a beast. Honestly, this chapter was mostly filler to me since I have had 20/21/22 written for like a month. But I think it turned out decently.


	20. War

I.

Lena stood with the rest of the halfblood council, at the entrance to the main gate of Olympus. Sam to her right. Maggie to her left. Her armor sported a few new adjustments. Sturdier and more durable joint pads, a tougher bodysuit material, her helmet that had been damaged from the impact of James’ sword fixed and modified, giving her more visibility while retaining a reasonable amount of head protection. New places to hide daggers. All a gift from Winn. 

They stood in front of their army, the Gods scattered among them as they watched the Titan army approach, a coldness covering the area. Stars twinkling in the night sky. Lena, though, was focused on one thing. The Titan leading the charge. Hyperion. He had been the one to take her place. His own flaming eyes zeroed in on her. She saw him snarl, charging straight for her. If she hadn’t had Titan blood for herself, she might have missed him running at her. “I’ll take care of him.” She told the others, who nodded. “I owe him for a lot.” She sped off to meet him in the middle of the battlefield, their swords clashing together with a thunderous clang. Each side took that as their cue, rushing towards each other. The armies pouring onto the battlefield, some monsters and halfbloods being struck down by archers. 

“I always knew you were weak.” Hyperion taunted, their swords still locked between them. “Look at you now. A puppet of the Gods. Didn’t I teach you better?” He said, the flames in his eyes rose as the mark on Lena’s wrist glowed and burned, but Lena just gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain. She was stronger than that. He no longer owned her. 

“Better a puppet than a monster.” She said, pushing Hyperion back. The Titan, instead of charging back at her, just laughed. 

“You were born a monster.” He said with a smirk. “You are my daughter. My blood. You were always destined for this. Even if you win, by some miracle, my blood will live on. Through you.” He said smugly. Lena grimaced, blurring towards him at a speed only he could match as they clashed together once again, a blur of red, orange and yellow light for the common eye to see, colliding with each other with a bang, causing flashes of power to light up the battlefield. 

II.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the other members of the council sought out the other brothers. Winn and Mon-El split from the group, finding Koios. Mon-El provided the combat muscle, while Winn provided him back up, lobbing celestial bronze grenades, perfected to detonate on command, keeping monsters and enemy halfbloods at bay. Koios, for his part, seemed rather disinterested in the two, batting Mon-El away as though he were a common house fly. He kept most of his attention on two different fights occurring elsewhere at the same time. But the son of Ares kept getting up and pounding away at the Titan. 

Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke engulfed the Titan, Koios yelling in surprise, as he grabbed a figure from out of the cloud and pitched him away. Mon-El turned to see Hades lying in a bunch of rubble, getting himself up off the ground. “Well? What are you waiting for?” He asked, pointing towards the Titan. Mon-El turned to see Poseidon unleashing a strong stream of water at Koios, forcing him on the defensive. Mon-El grinned, charging towards the Titan and the God, jumping up and bringing his sword down on Koios’ arm. 

Mon-El’s reinforced celestial bronze sword, courtesy of Winn, cut through Koios’ black Stygian iron armor, sinking into the Titan’s forearm. He grunted in pain as ichor, the golden blood of the divine started to flow out of the wound. He turned his full attention to the halfbloods and Gods, his blue eyes narrowing in on Mon-El specifically. He gripped his sword tighter, charging towards them. Hades and Poseidon rushed in front of Mon-El, shielding the vulnerable halfblood from the attack. Koios, however, saw this in advance and ran down the middle between them. And in one long swing with both arms, swatted them aside. They both went flying, leaving Mon-El in a defensive stance, blocking Koios’ sword with his shield, attempting to follow up with his own strike. However, his strength and speed, while impressive for a halfblood, wasn’t enough to outpace a Titan. Koios hit him with an uppercut with his free hand, the halfblood falling back to the ground a few yards back. 

“Mon-El!” Winn yelled, taking an experimental invention off his belt. He had tried to create a fire bomb that would be strong enough to hurt a Titan. He had trapped green Greek fire within. He knew it probably wouldn’t affect Titans like Kronos or Hyperion, the latter having direct control over fire, but for the ice and snow Titan who was attacking his friend, there was a chance. He gulped, pulling the pin on the grenade. 

“Mon-El, duck.” He yelled, the halfblood glancing over to Winn to see what he had in his hand. His gaze widened a little, knowing exactly what was going to be thrown his way. He curled up into a ball, attempting to hide as much of his body behind his shield as possible as Winn tossed the grenade at Koios, whose attention was still focused on the halfblood. The device landed on the ground between his feet, mere yards away from where Mon-El was laying. It detonated, unleashing an explosion of green fire underneath him. 

Hades, who had since recovered from having the wind knocked out of him, shot a dark bolt of umbral energy towards the fire, turning the flames black, the fire flaring hotter and larger. He had infused the Greek fire with his own infernal energy, creating hellfire. A substance so dangerous, it could turn typical solid substances to a liquid state at a mere touch. Mon-El scrambled away from the growing flames, hissing in pain as the intensity of the flames began to heat up his shield, burning the places where it was touching his arm. He unstrapped it and tossed it aside as he retreated, cradling his arm close to his body as the black flames engulfed Koios. 

The Titan screamed in agony, the umbral power of Hades, coupled with the Greek fire provided by Winn, burned through the Stygian armor of Koios, the iron melting, covering Koios’ body with liquid hot iron. The Titan fell to his knees in pain, glaring loathingly at Hades as his body burned. 

III. 

A few yards away, Kara and James engaged the first Titan they came across. Iapetus. The Titan wearing silver armor, matching his silvery gaze. His armor paired with a spear with a shining silver spear tip. In his full armor, he mirrored Hyperion in his golden armor. The two Titans sharing a striking resemblance. “Halfbloods.” He said calmly. Kara drew her large broadsword, James’ own sword in his hand. “I’m assuming you won’t just come quietly?” He asked. 

“What do you think the answer to that question is?” Kara asked. He just sighed. 

“I expected nothing less. Know that I don’t find pleasure in killing you.” He replied, approaching the halfbloods, ready for battle. He made the first move, jabbing his spear at Kara, who dodged the jab. She surged forward, propelled by her powers, swinging her sword and hitting his shoulder plate with the flat of her sword. It knocked him a little off balance, but did little to no damage. He followed up by whacking her with his spear, sending her to the ground. James stood in front of her as Iapetus advanced. He dodged a spear jab, getting in close, past the spear and bashing Iapetus’ helmet with the butt of his sword, disorienting the Titan. 

He stumbled back before suddenly a set of chains shot out, wrapping themselves around the Titan, who struggled to break free. James helped Kara up as they looked for the source of the bronze chains. At the other end, was a grinning Ares, saluting the two halfbloods. “God of War, at your service.” He said, focusing back on holding the Titan. Iapetus struggled and managed to break free of the chains, sending the bronze links scattering across the ground, turning his attention to Ares. 

Ares, a large battle axe in hand, got up closer to the Titan, swinging upward, catching his breastplate, denting the silver armor. Kara and James move to help Ares, Kara surging toward Iapetus and bashing her shoulder into his back, the Titan grunting from the force. Suddenly, Kara’s head snapped towards a familiar scream of pain. Lowering her guard, her focus being diverted toward the source. Kara felt a hand on her shoulder, looking over to see Athena suddenly standing next to her. 

“Go, Ares and I will handle Iapetus.” She said. Kara nodded gratefully, speeding off towards Kronos, who had Sam on her knees in front of him, colliding with the Titan, just barely saving Sam from her soul being ripped from her body. 

IV.

A portal opened, Sam stepping through and appearing in front of Kronos, who looked rather amused at her boldness. A shield in one hand, sword in the other, she faced down the most powerful and dangerous of the Titan brothers. “So you’re the Roman halfblood that threw her lot in with the Greeks?” He chuckled. “A shame. The Romans were always superior to their Greek counterparts. It’s almost a pity I’ll have to kill you.” 

“You can try.” She retorted. The Titan just laughed, a large scythe appearing in his hand.

“I admire your fire, but it’s not enough. Nothing will ever be enough.” He said before swinging at Sam. She dodged out of the way, raising her shield in front of her. She was acutely aware that she was challenging the most powerful Titan on the battlefield and that alone kept her on her toes. And on the defensive. 

Kronos laughed, charging forward swinging his scythe at Sam. She blocked with her shield, the force of the swing caused her to stumble a little. Though she did manage to deflect another swing with her sword. The Roman halfblood was desperate to avoid even a single hit with the weapon. She had heard enough about the Titan’s scythe, knowing it was a formidable weapon, capable of destroying both body and soul. 

She opened a portal, jumping through and materializing behind Kronos. The Titan whirled around, but she managed to get a jab to connect, stabbing through a small joint chink in his armor, leaving a small wound. To his credit, he simply winced a little in pain, looking down at the wound in his shoulder before turning his cold, golden eyes on Sam, who had backed out and gone back on the defensive. “Clever. But that trick from Janus will only work once.” He snarled. 

He swung his scythe once again, this time Sam ducked the blow, rolling out of the way, holding her shield in front of her to provide her as much coverage as possible. “You can’t evade me forever, halfblood.” He spat. Sam frowned, knowing he was right, but she had to try anyway. He charged forward again, swinging his scythe, lower than the previous attempts. Sam had to jump backward out of the way, stumbling to the ground, falling on her back. She steeled her focus, opening up a portal underneath her, falling through it and appearing a few yards away, giving her a moment to get to her feet as Kronos chuckled.

“I’ll admit, I never thought much of Janus’ powers, but you have proven resourceful with them. Your father could stand to learn a thing or two. If you were to actually have a chance of surviving.” He taunted. He pressed the attack again. This time, Sam stood her ground, blocking one swing with her shield, parrying another with her sword. He swung at her in quick succession, Sam struggling to keep up on the defense, but managed to deflect each blow. Though after a full minute of this, she was breathing heavily. Against a normal halfblood, she could have easily taken the hits, but this was a Titan. It took all her energy to try to keep up, both in speed and strength. And despite her discipline and skill in battle, she was not the child of a top tier god like Kara or the child of a Titan like Lena. her stamina was limited. And before long, she missed a swing. Luckily, the scythe merely grazed her side. However, the soul ripping power of Kronos’ scythe caused an immense amount of agonizing pain in her side, even at the lightest graze, only lightly bleeding, but it felt like he had opened up a hole in her side. She groaned, falling to the ground, her sword falling from her hand. Kronos just chuckled. 

“You’ve been a challenge, halfblood. More than I expected from one such as you. But it was only a matter of time. And your time seems to be up.” He gloated, raising his scythe once more. Sam braced herself for the darkness, but instead, a red blur tackled Kronos. The figure taking Kronos by surprise and to the ground, creating a huge crater in the process. 

“I’m not going to let you hurt her,” Kara said with as much venom as Sam had ever heard. She felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up and seeing James kneeling next to her. 

“Are you okay?” He asked. Sam nodded. 

“Don’t worry about me, go help her.” She said, pointing weakly at Kara, her side still burning. James looked concerned but Sam pushed him towards Kara who was punching Kronos in the nose. He stumbled towards them as Sam tried to pull herself to a nearby boulder to provide herself with some cover while she nursed her wound. 

V.

Alex stood back to back with Maggie, the two working together to take out any monsters and halfbloods that came their way. However, they were taken by surprise by a man in black Stygian iron armor decorated with stars, a helmet shaped like a ram’s head on his head barreled toward them, colliding with the two halfbloods, Alex flying in one direction, Maggie in the other. 

Alex groaned, pushing herself up from the ground, turning to face the individual who crashed into them. She recognized the cold blue eyes peering at her from behind the helmet. Krios. “You picked the wrong day to piss me off Krios.” Alex barked. Krios laughed cruelly. 

“I don’t think I have to worry, halfblood. This’ll be over quickly.” He said, drawing his massive sword. He sidestepped an attack behind him from Maggie, who had snuck up on him while his attention was on Alex, slashing her dagger at him. Instead, he grabbed her by a leather strap across her back, tossing her towards Alex, causing the two to crash together on the ground again. “Nice try. Unfortunately, sneak attacks don’t work on someone with star sight.” He chuckled. 

Alex and Maggie got up, getting into a defensive stance as Krios advanced. Suddenly, he jumped backward, a couple of silvery arrows landing right where he had been standing. The halfbloods looked in the direction they came from, seeing Artemis with another arrow strung, aiming at Krios. “Stay away from the halfbloods, Krios.” She said. 

“What was that? Attack the halfbloods? With pleasure.” He taunted, charging forward. Alex stepped in front of Maggie, jabbing her spear towards Krios. It impacted with his black armor, but gave her time to raise her shield and deflect a swing from his sword. Maggie, in turn, jumped out from behind Alex’s defense, hitting Krios with a couple of lightning quick dagger jabs, hitting him between some of the plates of his armor. The celestial bronze sinking into his skin. However, those only seemed to anger him. His icy blue eyes narrowing at the halfbloods. 

“I was going to grant you a quick death, but it seems you want to draw this out.” He snarled. He swung down at Maggie, who tried to dodge the attack but the blow was deflected the two silvery, glowing swords. Maggie looked up, seeing Artemis standing between her and Krios, grimacing against the Titan’s strength. 

“Move.” She said. “I can only hold him for so long.” Maggie nodded, scrambling out of the way. Once clear, the goddess rolled back away from Krios, grouping up with Alex and Maggie, the Titan glaring at the three. 

“The goddess of the Moon won’t be able to save you from this fate.” He said angrily. Artemis’ swords dissolved, reforming almost instantly into her silver bow. She drew a couple of arrows, firing them off at Krios, who deflected them with his sword. 

“I will do what I can, but I can’t do this without your help,” Artemis said as she shot more arrows at him. Alex nodded, beckoning for Maggie to follow her. The two approached Krios. The Titan looked at the halfbloods with a sneer. 

“Let’s make this quick. I have Gods to kill.” He said, swinging his sword at Alex. She sidestepped the swing, before jabbing her spear toward Krios. He blocked the swing, but Alex, having picked up a thing or two from Lena, brought her spear back, charging him and bashing him with her shield. This move took him by surprise as Alex slammed him upwards, his helmet flying off his head, the ram like helmet falling to the ground. Alex moved away, giving Maggie an opening and bringing both daggers up, stabbing him up through the chin, embedding both weapons into his head. Krios cried in pain, swinging his arms wildly, forcing Maggie and Alex to retreat, Maggie staying close to Alex. 

Artemis, seeing her opening, drew a new arrow, taking aim and letting it fly. Midair, the arrow, imbued with Artemis’ divine power, glowed a bright silver and hit its mark, embedding itself in Krios’ chest. Krios felt a shooting pain through his body, falling to the ground, on his back as his body began to break down, not to get back up again. The two halfbloods, breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight, carefully approached the still disintegrating Titan. Maggie bent down and pulled her daggers from his body before it dissolved completely.

VI.

James joined Kara’s side, Kronos having thrown Kara off of him, his focus now on his granddaughter. “Stay away from the scythe,” James said. Kara nodded without looking at him. Kara tried charging Kronos, but he just waved his hand and suddenly, Kara felt like she was trying to move through molasses. Kronos smirked, speeding over to her, though in reality, it wasn’t a quick pace. He backhanded her and she went flying up into the air before landing on the ground. She gathered enough of her wits to create a bed of air to cushion her fall, which of the force at which she had been hit, may have seriously injured her if she fell onto the ground directly. 

“Even you have no hope of defeating me alone, halfblood,” Kronos said, grabbing James by the neck as he tried to defend Kara. He tossed James aside like a ragdoll, the man colliding with the ground, unconscious. Kara struggled to get up to face the Titan. “Did you know she had a cruelty that was only matched by one of us?” Kronos taunted, standing in front of Kara, who desperately swung her sword at him. He just sidestepped, before raising a hand and time slowed around her, stopping her in her tracks. “That she relished in defeating halfblood after halfblood. Killed many, maimed that many more.” He said, walking around her. “Even took one to her bed for a time.” He said, his voice smooth and cold. A tingle ran down the back of Kara’s neck at the evilness of the voice. “Followed my orders faithfully. Her father’s orders. Was quite the perfect little weapon of war. Before the weakness we sought to carve out of her was too much.” He sighed. “It’s the human in her.” He said, a little disappointment in his voice. “The agency of a human and the powers of a Titan. She should have been perfect. Unfortunately, we miscalculated just how much her human weakness would affect her.” 

Kara gritted her teeth. “It’s not weak to reject evil.” Kronos just laughed. 

“She was just as evil as me or my brothers. Or evil by your standards. We simply wanted what is rightfully ours.” He said, running a finger down Kara’s cheek. She wanted to spit, but she couldn’t even do that under the influence of his powers. “She’s not worth your time, halfblood.” He said. 

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Kara managed to get out. “She’ll always be worth it.” 

Kronos chuckled. “As much as I am amused by your conviction and belief in her, you will never know her as I do. Know exactly what she is capable of. What her mind is really like.” He teased, his face was suddenly right in front of Kara’s face, the two staring at each other. “What it will be like when both of you die alone.” He said smugly, backing up a little, but still within easy striking distance, raising his scythe. “Goodbye, halfblood.”  

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck near the two, a wave of crackling power emitting from the God who stood between them. 

“She’s not alone,” Zeus said, wielding a lightning bolt in his hand. 

Kronos smirked, lowering his scythe briefly. “My son. How good of you to join us.” He taunted, turning his attention to his youngest son. “This must be a family affair.” He said before swinging his weapon. 

Zeus summoned his powers, lightning crackling around him and Kara before they were enveloped in a golden shield, a bolt of lightning shot out towards Kronos, who simply deflected it with his scythe, sending the blast towards a group of halfbloods and monsters, disintegrating the monsters and sending the halfbloods flying. Before he had a chance to swing again, Kara stepped in his path, his powers having released the halfblood, her sword meeting the blade of his scythe with a clang. Kronos narrowed his eyes as Zeus summoned a shield with Greek art on the front. “You have only sealed your fates.” He spat, pushing Kara back before releasing a blast of Titanic energy. Zeus flew forward, his shield out in front, only just managing to protect Kara from the blast. His shield took most of the impact, but it still sent the two tumbling to the ground. 

Kara was the first on her feet again, calling upon her own Titan infused powers, using the air currents to surge forward before striking down at Kronos with all her strength. The Titan dodged her blow, her sword slamming into the ground with her full strength, a small crater being formed at the point of impact because of her immense strength. The force of that impact enough to force Kronos back a few more feet. He raised an eyebrow at Kara, his cold golden eyes appraising her. “This will make things more… entertaining.” He said before rushing towards Kara again. 

VII. 

As the fight echoed around them, Hyperion and Lena were in their own little world. Both sustained their fair share of injuries. Ichor dripping from Hyperion’s wounds, red blood from Lena’s. For each strike that one landed, the other landed one. Finally, Hyperion managed to knock Lena back, causing her to fly backward, crashing into the battlefield, creating a crater of rubble where she landed. Her armor dirtied and dented in places. Her helmet lost once more. Hyperion sneered, stalking over to where she laid, struggling to get to her feet. 

Suddenly, there was a third flash of light and a god appeared at Lena’s side. “Sorry I’m late,” Apollo said, helping Lena to her feet. 

“How pathetic. You need the help of a god to face me. And that one no less.” Hyperion taunted. Lena glowered in response, but Apollo answered for her. 

“She doesn’t need my help, Hyperion. But I would help her willingly this time and any that may come to make up for my actions that wronged her.” 

“Touching sentiment.” Hyperion sneered. “But this is between her and me.” He said as if he expected Lena to turn him away. She looked between Hyperion and Apollo, before turning to her father. 

“You taught me to utilize all resources at my disposal, did you not?” She asked, nodding at Apollo once before resuming her attack on Hyperion. The two disappeared into flashes of red, orange and gold again, another golden light joining the fray. Lena struck at Hyperion, who blocked her strike, sending a bolt of light towards Apollo who took to the air, narrowly avoiding the burning bolt. He drew a couple of arrows from his quiver, pulling them back and letting them fly at Hyperion. The Titan dodged the arrows, disengaging from Lena in the process. Apollo drew a couple more arrows, setting them on fire with his pyrokinesis and letting them go at Hyperion, who simply sidestepped the arrows, looking up at Apollo who was hovering above the ground, like he regarded him as a pest. 

“Why don’t you come down here and fight me like a real divine?” Hyperion taunted. Lena frowned, blurring over to him, drawing a dagger from a hidden compartment on her armor, stabbing it downwards at him. He only snorted, grabbing her wrist and twisting it, causing Lena to wince, dropping her dagger. He lifted her off the ground by the wrist, bringing her face to face with him, both their flaming eyes gazing at each other. 

“This is pathetic.” He spat. “I taught you better than this.” Lena hissed in pain as he tightened his grip on her wrist. 

“Lena!” Apollo exclaimed, his bow dissolving into an imperial gold sword, swooping down and tackling Hyperion to the ground, the Titan dropped Lena who also landed on the ground, flexing her wrist. Apollo sat atop Hyperion, stabbing his sword down at Hyperion’s head. The Titan grabbed Apollo’s arm, holding the god at bay. He threw the sun god off of him, getting to his feet, his own imperial gold sword in his hand. 

“That’s going to be your last good deed, Apollo.” Hyperion sneered. Apollo got to his feet, brow furrowed angrily. “Stay away from my daughter.” He added.

“You haven’t earned the right to call her that.” Apollo snarled. Hyperion swung at Apollo, who deflected the blow. 

“And you have?” Hyperion said smugly. “I took her in after you and the Gods deceived her. Betrayed her. I made her stronger. I shaped her into something worth being proud of. Until she sullied herself with the taint of the Gods once more.” He spat, glancing at Lena who was still on the ground, invoking his mark on her. A searing pain that, in her weakened state from her injuries and exertions of her powers, burned her insides. The demititan crying out in pain. “I’ll be sure to cleanse her of that before I send her to the Underworld.”

“You’ve done nothing but hurt her. And continue to do so.” Apollo growled, swinging his sword at Hyperion, breaking his concentration on Lena, the pain subsiding. The two locked swords, Apollo pushing against the Titan. “I may have hurt her, but I will do everything I can to rectify my mistakes. Starting with destroying you.” He said. Hyperion did nothing but laugh. 

“Ah. Young, arrogant, Apollo. You have never learned to respect your elders, have you?” He sneered before releasing a blast of Titanic energy, blowing Apollo away, the god falling to the ground with a cratering crash, ichor dripping from some open wounds caused by the blast and sheer force of the impact. “You can only dream of having the kind of power I possess.” He said, advancing on Apollo, his sword drawn, his intentions on ending Apollo clear. 

Watching her father approach the god, Lena felt a second wave of energy flow through her. The god had risked his own life to protect her, she knew that. Despite the betrayal she felt from Apollo, she wasn’t just going to let Hyperion kill him. She felt a surge of power, speeding towards Hyperion faster than she had ever run before. She crashed into Hyperion, the two of them sprawling on the ground. Hyperion on his back, looked up at Lena who had a murderous look in her eyes and he laughed. 

“There you are.” He said smugly, grabbing her by her breastplate, throwing her to the side. She skidded across the ground, but got up without a scratch. Hyperion also got to his feet, sword in hand, a gleeful look in his eyes. “If a god couldn’t defeat me, child, what hope do you have? I trained you. I made you. Nothing you do can best your better.” He sneered. Lena snarled, light engulfing her blades as she charged at Hyperion, who frowned before meeting her head on. 

“I’ve lived in your shadow for too long.” Lena spat at the two traded blows, Hyperion was taken aback at the strength and power behind them. “Under your thumb.” She said with a snarl, swinging her sword. “I might not support the Gods. I may have been betrayed by them. But you  _ abused _ me!” Lena said, the words dripping from her mouth with an intense amount of venom. “Stripped me of everything I was. Just to make me into a soldier. A tool. A weapon.” She said, striking at him between each word. “I’m not going to let you do that to me, or anyone ever again.” She growled, feinting an upward strike before bringing both swords down and stabbing him in the gut. 

Hyperion grunted in pain, falling to his knees, his free hand gripping the wound, his hand covered in golden ichor. He looked up at Lena who stood over him, her flaming eyes storming. He wheezed, a laugh on his lips. “You’re too weak to kill me.” He taunted. “You couldn’t even kill that daughter of Zeus.” He coughed up a little ichor. “You’re trying to play the hero. You won't make the final strike.” He sneered. Even at his weakest, he still angered her. 

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She said, leaning closer to him until they were almost nose to nose. “I’m not a hero. I’m not above killing you.” She hissed, running her sword through his heart, Hyperion gasping in pain. “And I’ll relish seeing you die.” She said as the Titan looked hatefully at her as his body began to dissolve and his essence scattered to the wind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know if this or chapter 21 is my favorite. This one was obviously the longest chapter in the series I'm pretty sure. It was also hopefully worth the hype. Having Lena be the one to finally kill Hyperion was obviously super important for her and a must do as we get near the end of the story. Then I just liked the idea that she was saving Apollo. I feel like that represents a lot of her growth throughout this particular part of the series. Also for her to finally say the word 'abuse' out loud. Felt like that was important too. 
> 
> Anyway, chapter 21 is probably the chapter I made the most changes to from the original outline, but I think you all will be happier the way I wrote it than the way I had planned it. 
> 
> Also a little note; imagine Hyperion and Lena fighting, to the normal human eye, it looks a little something like Barry and Reverse Flash fighting, just streaks of red, yellow, and orange lightning zipping around. To them, it's normal pace because they can match each other's speed and processing power, but anyone who is just an onlooker, it's just a blur.


	21. Endings

I.

As Hyperion’s spirit dissipated, Kronos let out a pained roar. His four brothers gone. All destroyed by the council members with a little godly assistance. With a renewed sense of rage, he turned his attention on Zeus and Kara. With the gods all engaged in their own battles with various monsters and halfbloods, no godly backup was coming. 

“I will rend your body and soul, Zeus,” Kronos yelled, rushing towards his youngest son. Zeus, seeing his father’s rage, pushed Kara out of the way and found himself thrown backward, Kronos on top of him, scythe raised above his head. Zeus struggled to shift his head to the side, Kronos’ scythe coming down, burying itself in the ground next to him. The evil power of the weapon emanating from the blade. Kronos wrenched the weapon out of the ground, grabbing Zeus’ neck with his free hand, preparing to bring his scythe down on what he considered to be his greatest enemy. The cause of all his strife. 

He swung his scythe down, the blade piercing the god’s shoulder, Zeus crying out in agony. If he had been human, like Sam, he would have been dead in an instant. Luckily, his stature as a God allowed him to withstand the power of the scythe, not killing him instantly. But he was not immune from the effects. If he were to survive, that was a scar he would carry for the rest of his immortal life. 

Before he could do further damage, Kronos was peeled off of Zeus, thrown across the battlefield, crashing into the rubble. He growled, looking for the perpetrator. He zeroed in on Lena, who had thrown the Titan off of Zeus, pulling the scythe from his shoulder. Though the god would not be in any shape to fight after sustaining an injury like that. Kronos called his scythe, the weapon flying from Lena’s hands into his own, getting off the ground. Lena, while the Titan pulled himself from the dirt, sped over to Kara, pulling her to her feet. 

“Are you ready to end this?” Lena asked. Kara nodded seriously, both women turning their attention to the Titan. 

“Remember what we practiced?” Lena questioned as she prepared herself, getting a stronger grip on her swords. 

“Sure do,” Kara replied, looking at Kronos who was charging towards them, rage in his eyes. Lena took that as her cue, zipping off to meet Kronos in a blur of yellow, red and gold light. Kara tore after her, manipulating the air currents around her to move even faster. So fast in fact, that she got to Kronos before Lena did. He swung his scythe at her, but Kara slid under the slash, kicking the Titan’s leg out from under him, causing him to stumble momentarily. This gave Lena the opening she needed. She slammed into him at her own high speeds, shouldering him in the chest, knocking him back a few yards onto his back, his scythe still in his hand. 

He growled, pulling himself up from the rubble, but the two didn’t let up, Kara briefly flying into the air before diving toward him at incredible speed, colliding with the Titan with a loud bang. Lena also sped toward him but found herself slowed to a normal human pace as Kronos manipulated time around her. He couldn’t fully stop her like he could with most other halfbloods, but it was enough that Kara was left without backup. He took the opportunity to grab a strap on her armor with one hand, catching a fist that was trying to punch him in the face with the other. Having enough of a controlling grasp on her, he quickly flipped their positions so that he was standing, holding Kara with her hand wrenched behind her back painfully. Kara groaned from the awkward angle at which he held her. 

“Kara!” Lena yelled, seeing the pain on her face. She grabbed a dagger from an arm sheath, throwing it at Kronos. She wasn’t as talented with knives as Maggie or Roulette, but her aim was true. Or it would have been if Kronos hadn’t been able to stop it with just a look. The dagger stopped in mid-air, hovering for a moment before falling to the ground, inches away from the two. 

However, this distracted him long enough for Lena to feel her speed return to her. His attention drawn away from her, his grip on time around her loosened. She used the opportunity to blur towards him, dropping her swords, grabbing him around the waist and tackling him to the ground. He roared in surprise, letting go of Kara who stumbled away from the two, flexing her arm, making sure nothing was seriously injured. 

Lena wrestled with Kronos on the ground, trying to pin him down, but the strength of the Titan was greater than her own. She caught a punch to the shoulder. One that had every ounce of the Titan’s strength behind it. She hissed in pain, her shoulder already beginning to throb as he knocked her off of him, summoning his scythe to him as it had fallen to the ground when Kara had flown into him. Lena laid on her back, looking up at Kronos as he approached her, her shoulder in too much pain to be of any use. He stood over her, looking down at her, his golden eyes full of cold disappointment. “It is a shame to see you throw in with  _ them _ .” He said venomously. “You gave up family. For what? Love?” He sneered. “She’ll dispose of you like all the rest. All you ever were to anyone was a tool. Did you really think my son would let you go that easily?” He said, a knowing tone to his voice. “You’d be a prisoner of Olympus forever. Let me release you from that fate.” He said, raising his scythe to run it into Lena’s gut, a blow that would most certainly kill her. She cringed, waiting for the blow. But instead, she felt a gust of wind under her body as she was pulled back, out of the way of the blow, Kronos’ scythe getting embedded in the ground. 

Kara had worked the kink out of her arm, using her powers to manipulate the air currents around Lena, using that force to jerk her backward out of harm’s way. However, she was still in no condition to fight back at full force, her shoulder still in pain from catching the full brunt of Kronos’ fist. He had wrenched his scythe out of the ground and approached Kara at a human pace. Kara, for her part, had her sword in hand and was standing protectively in front of Lena. “I won’t let you hurt her.” She said. Kronos just laughed. 

“There’s nothing you can do to save your lives. I may not have captured Olympus with my brothers today, but I will ensure that you will not live to see another sunrise.” He said, running at her. Kara, bracing herself for whatever came her way, found time slowing down around her. But not like from Kronos’ powers effect on her. Instead, it seemed like things happened in slow motion. She saw his scythe swing down at her. She knew she couldn’t sidestep or dodge it because the blade would sink right into Lena if she did. So instead, she did something incredibly stupid. She reached out and grabbed the blade with her bare hand. She winced in anticipation of the pain, but nothing came. Instead, she caught the blade, stopping it short. Kara frowned as Kronos looked surprised. 

“How is this possible?” He asked angrily. Lena looked up from her place on the ground, the pain making her vision blurry but she could just make out what had happened. 

“She absorbed your own power Kronos. It may not be her own, but your scythe recognizes its master’s energy.” She struggled to get out. Kara looked at the scythe’s blade in her hand, the sharp edge cutting into her skin, but not causing her any soul-rending pain. Then she looked to Kronos, who had hardened his gaze at her. 

Before he had time to react, Kara twisted her wrist, running her sword through his stomach with all her strength. The blade pierced his armor, embedding the blade into his gut. The Titan grunted in pain, dropping his scythe as his hand went to grab the hilt of Kara’s sword. “It’s over.” She said with a sigh. 

“It will never be truly over,” Kronos said defiantly. “Not as long as she lives.” He said, looking at Lena on the ground before his body dissolved into dust, his spirit lost to the wind. Kara’s sword dropped to the ground, the last Titan finally gone.

II.

With their leaders dead, monsters started fleeing in droves, hellhounds returning to the Underworld, Dracaenae being taken out in large numbers by remaining halfbloods and the gods, and most Titan aligned halfbloods setting down their weapons in surrender. It seemed that without their Titan generals, they had lost the will to fight back. Or at least a reason. They could see a pointless fight. As Lena had predicted.

Kara helped Lena to her feet, careful of her shoulder which was still in a great deal of pain. She winced as she got up, but put her good arm around Kara’s shoulder. The blonde helped Lena over to a large piece of rubble, letting her sit down and rest her shoulder a little.

“I should go check on the wounded…” Kara trailed off, reluctant to leave an injured Lena on her own, but the half-titan just waved her off. 

“Go. I’ll be okay.” She said. Kara gave her another doubtful look, but nodded, walking over to the nearest injured halfblood. Lena tested her shoulder, rubbing it a little with her good arm, wincing from the touch. Gradually, the pain was fading from a piercing throb to a dull ache. She was lucky that Kronos hadn’t broken her shoulder or collarbone. After a few minutes of rest, Lena struggled to get to her feet, walking over to a particular god that she had saved. 

Lena approached Zeus, who was still lying on the ground but sitting up, rolling his shoulder. His wound already beginning to heal. “I suppose I have you to thank for my continued existence.” He said, much of the venom in his voice gone. 

“The world needs someone to lead them through this,” Lena said, rolling her eyes. Zeus chuckled. 

“Never thought I’d see the day that you would save my life.” He said honestly. Lena looked up at the night sky, her back to the god.  

“That makes two of us. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated to let him kill you.” She admitted. “I can’t say I’ll ever like you, but it wouldn’t do for you to die.” A few minutes of silence passed between them, Lena continuing to gaze at the stars.

“Your request is granted. You’ve proven yourself.” Zeus said with authority. “I swear on the River Styx.” He volunteered, pushing himself off the ground, wincing in pain as he stood next to Lena. The halftitan nodded once. 

“I’m almost surprised you don’t want to drag me in front of the council and degrade me some more.” She didn’t even look at him. 

“I think destroying Hyperion makes us even.” He responded. Lena finally looked over at the god. “I hope you intend to talk with my daughter before you go.” He said. Lena nodded. 

“Of course. I’m not going to disappear on her. As for what happens after that, even I cannot predict that.” 

Zeus chuckled. “Kara is… an unpredictable person. Even for a demigod.” He said. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing a figure standing behind the pair. “I’ll leave you two to it. I assume you have some things to discuss.” He said, taking his leave before Apollo took his place next to Lena. She glanced at him. The god was sporting his fair share of cuts and bruises and he was limping slightly, but he smiled at her. 

“Thank you. Yet another god is in your debt.” He said. Lena snorted. 

“I thought you already were.” She said jokingly. Apollo laughed. 

“I suppose you’re right.” He said, looking down at the ground. “I meant what I said. Whatever I can do, if it's within my power, you only need to ask.” He said. Lena let out a sigh. 

“My one request is let me go.” She said quietly, turning to face the god. “I can’t move on with you in my life. You’re a harsh reminder of the past.” She grabbed his forearm “I don’t mean this with cruelty. We don’t part ways on negative terms. Forgiveness has never been my strong suit, but you’ve earned my respect.” She said. Apollo looked a little disappointed, but nodded. 

“I guess it was too much to hope you’d want to continue with me in your life.” He said sadly. “But if that is what you wish, you won’t have to see me again.” 

“It might not be forever.” She said with a shrug. “But for now, I need to build my life away from this world. And begin to heal myself before I can even think about rebuilding everything that I’ve lost.” Apollo nodded. 

“I can understand that. This world has been cruel to you. Both the Titans and the gods.” Lena smiled sadly, nudging him with her good shoulder. 

“At least some have tried to make it up to me.” She said. “I do hope our paths cross again. Someday.” 

III.

Lena walked among the dead and wounded on the battlefield, seeing halfbloods from both sides littering the ground. She sat down on a large piece of rubble, sighing as the adrenaline began to leave her, the stress of exerting herself so much taking its toll. Her entire body ached and felt rather stiff. Rather than just her shoulder. As she stretched out her muscles, a body sat next to her. “So, it’s finally over.” Roulette said. 

“It is. After so long.” She replied. Roulette twirled one of her daggers in her fingers. 

“What will you do now? Where will you go?” She questioned. 

“Zeus granted me… basically a pardon. I’m free to leave this world as I wished to do.” She shrugged. “I’ll clean up some loose ends here and be on my way. Word is my brother Lex was arrested on fraud and tax evasion charges. My father died a couple years ago. And my mother wants nothing to do with the company. Luthor Corp is in need of a CEO and after all, that was what I was groomed for prior to… all of this. It should be a simple matter to build a life there. Hang up the armor and sword in favor of running the business.” She said. “And you?” She asked her old friend. 

“Depends.” She said cryptically. Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“On?” She asked curiously. 

“You. I’m sure at your new fancy business you’ll need a head of security. If you’ll have me.” Roulette said, uncharacteristically shy. 

“What about your life here?” Lena asked. Roulette scoffed. 

“What life? I’m in much the same boat as you, except I don’t think the Gods hate me as much. I don’t have your… colorful parentage. But everyone here barely tolerates me. I’m sure all the Titan halfbloods hate my guts. No, there’s nothing for me here anymore. Besides, you’d be bored without me.” She teased. Lena laughed. 

“As long as you promise not to maim anyone.” Lena joked, somewhat comforted that her friend wouldn’t abandon her. Roulette sighed dramatically. 

“If you insist.” She groaned, though her smile gave her away. 

“I insist,” Lena said, nudging her friend. 

“Oh fine.” 

“I’m glad you see things my way.”

IV.

Lena continued to wander the battlefield after promising Roulette to find her when she was ready. She came across Alex who was tending to a nasty wound on Maggie’s forehead. “Hey Little Luthor. Plan worked.” Maggie said, looking up at Lena. The demititan smiled, nodding. 

“It did indeed.” She said. Alex paused, also looking at Lena, standing up from her kneeling position next to her wife. 

“What will you do now?” She asked. Lena glanced at Kara who was a few feet away, tending to an injured Hunter. 

“I’ll be leaving. You won’t have to see me again.” Lena replied. “I know I’m just a painful reminder for you. I just hope that one day, you’ll find it in yourself to heal from that pain.” Lena made to leave the two, but Alex stopped her. 

“What of my sister?” She asked. 

“I’ll be going back to the human world. I have a life to start building. And a lot to begin healing from. Your sister is welcome to join me if she wants. But if she wishes to remain here with you and her friends, I understand.” 

Alex nodded. “I really do wish you the best of luck for your future. You came through when we needed you the most.” She offered Lena a small smile. “Don’t hurt my sister again.” She threatened. Lena snorted. 

“You’re so sure she’ll want to leave her life here?” Lena questioned. She didn’t doubt Kara’s feelings for her, but she wasn’t sure that Kara would want to assimilate to the human world after living for so long in the world of the gods. Despite the assurances Kara gave her, the back of her mind thought it might be different when they weren’t under threat of dying to the hands of the Titans. But Alex nodded. 

“She would follow you to the ends of the world if you asked her to. And as much as I want to, I can’t stop her. She’s been through so much since this all started. I just want her to be happy again, and if she can be happy with you, then I’ll support her in whatever choice she makes.” Lena nodded. 

“Thank you, Alex.” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

V.

Lena went off in search of Kara, who she found standing alone, away from the battlefield. She approached quietly, grabbing Kara’s hand. The blonde smiled without looking at Lena, entwining their fingers. “Night sky is beautiful, isn’t it?” She asked. Lena nodded. 

“Yeah.” She said. 

“It’s really over,” Kara said quietly, turning to Lena. 

“It is. It’s finally over.” She confirmed. Kara raised her free hand, cupping the back of Lena’s neck. Lena sighed, relaxing a little. 

“How is your shoulder?” Kara asked. 

“It’s sore. But I’ll live.” She said.

“How long do we have?” Kara questioned. Lena squeezed Kara’s hand. 

“However long you need. I can wait.” She replied. 

“Are you sure you want to leave?” Kara asked. “I’m sure that you don’t have to. My father does owe you his life now.” She joked. But Lena shook her head. 

“I’m sure. It’s time to move on with my life. Begin to heal. Start a life with you if you’ll let me.” Lena confessed. Kara grinned, leaning in and capturing Lena’s lips. Lena kissed her back, letting go of Kara’s hand, but immediately placing her hand on Kara’s lower back, pulling the blonde closer to her and ignoring the twinge of pain. Kara tightened her grip on Lena’s neck, pressing forward. 

The two separated when air became an issue and Kara rested her forehead against Lena’s forehead. “I’d love nothing more.” She whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is basically the end of this continuous story. I have one more thing to update this with; an epilogue of sorts. Which I will upload on Monday. The exact 2-year anniversary of starting Ascension. Nice bookend if I do say so myself. 
> 
> This has honestly been the longest I've spent on a single "universe" so to speak. Two years of writing this entire series. It was a really ambitious thing I had in mind when I started and while I'm proud of seeing it through to the end, I'll be the first to admit there are things I would change in retrospect. I think generally I would have written it to be longer so some of the major plot points didn't seem so abrupt; thinking specifically of the ending of Betrayal into the beginning of Redemption. But what's done is done. It has been a learning experience for me and I'm glad I did it. 
> 
> Sidenote for those of you interested: This chapter actually went through some major changes when I revisited it and they were largely based on some of the comments I had received over the last two years, mostly constructive criticism, but there were some pretty rude comments lmao. Originally, it was supposed to be Kara who got injured, then Lena and Zeus defeated Kronos together. Mainly it was for the same reason that instead, I had her save his life. It was supposed to be putting aside their differences to win (and to protect Kara) and a moment for Lena to prove she's changed and grown. That said, when I revisited that chapter, I felt like that wasn't the route I wanted to go after some thought, and criticism on other aspects of the series. I always intended for Kara and Lena to be together by the end, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I could accomplish the same thing with the way I chose to write it here instead. And this would probably way more satisfying than the way I had planned it originally. Just a little piece of trivia. 
> 
> I also wanted to expand a little bit more on Alex and Lena's relationship as well. The way I see it, they'll never be best buddies. But Lena was there when it mattered and Alex was always distrustful of Lena because she had been betrayed once, what was to stop her from being betrayed by Lena again? Throw in Lena's effect on Kara and let's just say their relationship was not warm and fuzzy. But now that the war is over (and Lena came through when it mattered), it's time for everyone to heal and move on. And well, if Kara and Lena are going to be together, Lena and Alex are going to have to at least be on better terms going forward. And they both know that. The dynamic of how Lena deals with living in the human world and what (if any) ties she still has to the immortal world are explained a bit more in the next chapter. So it'll hopefully make more sense when that goes up. 
> 
> Anyway, I know I have one more chapter to upload, but I want to thank all ya'll for sticking with me and putting up with my sporadic and, at times, bad writing lmao. I hope that this has been time well spent in getting through the whole series. 
> 
> Feel free to scream at me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	22. New Beginnings

I.

**One year later**

Lena awoke to sunlight streaming into her bedroom. She yawned, stretching her back, though that was made a little difficult with the body that was wrapped around hers. She fully opened her eyes, seeing Kara curled against her, one arm thrown across Lena’s stomach. Lena smiled, gently worming an arm out from between them, running her fingers through Kara’s hair. Her now green eyes gazing warmly at the woman asleep next to her. 

The last year had taken some getting used to. After Kara had agreed to join her in the human world, Lena started making arrangements to take control of Luthor Corp. Luckily, it hadn’t been all that difficult. It had been explained away by Lionel before his death that he had sent his daughter to an elite, private school in Europe. And as Lena was now returning to Metropolis after a little over three years, that was a plausible timeline to have been studying abroad. 

Lex was in prison. Her mother busy with other endeavors. And her father dead. There were no other Luthors to claim the business. A temporary CEO had been installed at the company until a permanent replacement could be appointed. She was lucky enough to swoop in before the allotted 90 days were up, which would allow another from outside the Luthor family to take control of the company. 

The legalities of transferring the company to her name were all in black and white. She was rightfully the owner of Luthor Corp. The first month or two was dedicated to righting the wrongs that occurred under her brother. Routing out those that were complicit in her brother’s behavior and hiring new employees that passed her ethical standards. Roulette followed through on her promise and stood by her friend as Luthor Corp’s chief security officer. Kara, who Lena had offered whatever position she wanted, became Lena’s administrative advisor. A somewhat informal role that allowed Kara to come and go as she pleased in the company and get access to the most closely kept secrets of the company. 

Another surprising acquisition to her company’s staff was their new CFO, Sam Arias. After her run-in with Kronos and her own injury at his hands, she found herself unable to really return to active duty with the Romans. The ghost of her wounds pained her, even a year later. She was unable to even hold a sword properly. She would always be welcomed back to her home, but she had found a family with Lena and the Greeks. So when she sought out and approached Lena, the new CEO was more than willing to bring her into her new world. Sam had quickly excelled in her position in their finance department, being promoted to CFO within a matter of months. Not unheard of, but certainly rare. 

Lena stayed true to her word and cut herself off completely from the immortal world, mostly. Outside of the few friends she had brought with her, she kept her swords and armor in a hidden area off her bedroom, behind a wooden panel. After everything, she couldn’t bare to part with it fully. Even though it brought up the past, it also reminded her of why she had made her choice. And she found herself every so often opening up that panel and looking at it. But the desire to pick it back up had cooled. 

Kara, she still remained in touch with her sister and friends. She would go visit them every month or two. She always invited Lena to join her, but the raven-haired woman always politely declined, encouraging Kara to have a good time with her friends and sister. And Kara would always return with their well wishes. And over the many months that she had left that life behind, all of them, including Alex, had expressed to Kara that they missed Lena’s presence. 

But Lena found herself happier than she had been in years. Perhaps in her entire life. She finally felt free. She had the love of her life next to her. Who was currently sighing happily at the feel of Lena’s fingers in her hair. “Good morning,” Lena said as Kara opened her eyes and shifted to look at Lena. 

“Morning.” She said sleepily. “How long have you been up?” She questioned. 

“Not long. Five or ten minutes maybe.” She guessed. Kara propped herself up on her elbow.

“You have your thinking face on. What is it?” She asked. Lena groaned. Kara always had the uncanny ability to read Lena like a book. 

“I was just thinking about where we are. How far we’ve come in the last year.” She admitted. Kara nodded, running a hand across Lena’s bare stomach. She shivered at the touch. 

“You’ve made so much progress,” Kara said, her hand still resting on Lena’s stomach as she leaned over and captured Lena’s lips in a good morning kiss. Lena returned the kiss, sighing happily. 

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Lena replied as they separated. She put a hand on top of Kara’s hand. The blonde turned her hand over, entwining their fingers. 

“You could have. But I’m glad you didn’t have to.” Kara said. Lena chuckled. 

“I’m glad too.”

II.

As it was a Sunday, both women took the day off in favor of spending time with each other. So they leisurely got out of bed. Though they both kept getting distracted by other activities on the way to the bathroom and all the way through their shared shower. A routine that normally took twenty minutes ended up taking a couple of hours. 

And while Kara got herself dressed, Lena went out to their kitchen and started brewing a pot of coffee. She poured herself and Kara a cup, taking them both out onto the deck in their backyard. While Lena could afford to live anywhere she wanted, after everything, she ended up buying a modest place in a gated community just outside of Metropolis. It offered the security she needed as Luthor Corp’s CEO but provided her some sense of normalcy that she knew both she and Kara craved. 

Before long, Kara joined her, sitting in one of the deck chairs next to Lena, curling her feet under her as she sipped her coffee, the two slipping into an easy conversation about their next project at Luthor Corp. “How is construction going?” Kara asked. 

“Good. I’m hoping to get the children’s hospital open by the end of next year. Sam is working on some of the financials and HR is working on personnel. Job postings will probably go up in the next few months.” Lena replied, taking a drink of her own cup. 

“I’m really excited for this. There are so many kids out there that don’t have medical access.” Kara said. She was still getting acclimated to the human world after living for so long at Demos, but Lena was helping her. And she had found working at Luthor Corp that there was a lot of need. And Kara being Kara wanted to help all of them. Hence the Luthor Corp Children’s Hospital which had been her idea. 

“Yeah. Honestly, when I was growing up, I didn’t see a lot of that. I didn’t remember a lot from my life before the Luthors and after that, I never wanted for anything. But after everything, I know a lot of kids who joined the Titans, not only because of their feelings toward the gods, but because they thought that a world with more hands-on divines would provide for them better.” Lena said. She had become a lot more comfortable over the last year talking about the past. 

For the first few months, she nearly never talked about it. But slowly she and Kara talked about it privately. Just little things at first. But after a while, Lena’s emotional and mental scars began to heal. It didn’t hurt as much to talk about. She still had yet to take the next step of meeting up with any of the others outside her immediate circle. But maybe she’d invite Maggie to lunch some day in the future. 

It would still take some time, but maybe one day she’d seek out Apollo. Despite herself, she did want to see the god again. And she knew he’d come if she called him. But she wasn’t quite there yet. 

“You have a good heart, Lena,” Kara said. “It’s one of the things I love about you.” The blonde said. Lena blushed a little. 

“I try,” Lena mumbled. Kara laughed, reaching over and grabbing Lena’s hand. 

“And you succeed.” She said. “You’ve come along way from the person you were when we met.” Lena chuckled. 

“That is true. I feel like I’m finally the person that I was meant to be. Without all the magical and immortal stuff. Honestly, the only thing that world gave me was you, Sam and Roulette.” She said with a shrug. 

“And we’re all glad to have you. And like I said, everyone would love to see you again.” Kara said. Lena smiled. 

“Maybe someday. I think I’d like to see them again too. I’m just not sure when.” 

“Well, I’m meeting them for lunch on Wednesday. No time like the present right?” Kara said brightly. Lena shifted a little uncomfortably in her seat. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for all of them. 

“Maybe bring Maggie around when you come back?” She countered. Maggie, she thought she could handle. Kara grinned. 

“Yeah! I’m sure she’ll be so excited. Though don’t be surprised if Mon-El, James and Winn get jealous.” Kara added. Lena laughed. 

“That’ll be Maggie’s problem, not mine,” Lena replied. 

“So true. Hopefully she won’t hate you for that.” 

III. 

Lena was in her office, pouring over some paperwork when she heard a knock at the door. She looked up to see Kara, along with a familiar woman along with her. “Little Luthor!” Maggie said excitedly. She looked around the office, whistling. “You’ve done well for yourself in the last year.” She joked, knowing full well how Lena’s life had progressed via updates from Kara. 

Lena stood up, walking over from behind her desk. “Maggie, it’s good to see you again.” She said, Kara beaming. 

“I’ll leave you two to it for a while. I’ll be in my office, Lena.” She said. The CEO nodded as Kara let herself out. Lena stood awkwardly for a moment, before gesturing to her couch. 

“Sit?” She asked. Maggie nodded, taking a seat at one end of the couch, Lena on the other. 

“So, how have you been? It has been forever since any of us have seen you, except Kara obviously.” Maggie started. 

“I’ve been… good. Trying to redeem my company’s name in the eyes of the public has been taking up most of my time. I don’t really have a lot of brain space to dwell on anything else, which has been helpful. Kara helps too. She keeps trying to push me to take it one step at a time. Hence why you’re here.” Lena said with a small smile. Maggie nodded. 

“We were all kind of surprised when Kara said you were ready to see me again,” Maggie said with a shrug. “The guys were kind of jealous actually.” Lena snorted. 

“I’m sure. I wanted to start slow, work my way up. Who knows, maybe in another year I’ll be joining Kara on her monthly get-togethers.” Lena said, shrugging. Maggie smiled. 

“We’d love to have you come. You can drag Sam and Veronica with you if you want too. I’m sure Alex would be thrilled to see Sam again. Speaking of, where is the Roman?” She questioned. 

“Want me to call her up? I’m sure she can spare five minutes.” Lena asked. 

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Maggie said, excited at the prospect of also seeing Sam again. While Sam had not purposely removed herself like Lena had, the CFO had not had much contact with the immortal world either. Lena nodded, getting up and going over to the phone on her desk. She dialed Sam’s extension. Her friend picked up after the second ring. 

“Hey, Lena.” She heard on the other end. 

“Hey, will you come to my office real quick?” She asked. Sam answered in the affirmative, before hanging up and a few moments later, the door opened. 

“Hey Lena, what’s-” She started before noticing Maggie. “Oh hey, Maggie,” Sam said, walking over to the halfblood who had stood up from the couch, embracing her in a hug. 

“It’s been a while,” Maggie said, stepping back from Sam. “You look nice. I’ve never seen you in business clothes before.” Lena and Sam both laughed. 

“Yeah, it was certainly something. Hanging up the armor for a suit instead.” Sam said. Maggie nodded. 

“I’m sure.” She replied. 

“What have you been up to for the last year?” Sam asked as the three women took a seat on the couch. 

“This and that. Alex is still teaching at Demos so I’m kind of like her assistant I suppose.” Maggie shrugged. 

“Sounds… riveting.” Lena drawled. 

“Hey, she loves it and I love her. So I deal. It’s not too bad really. Since the war ended, it’s been a lot calmer, kind of like when we were all going there before. It’s nice to be able to see them all just enjoy a normal life. Or at least normal for a halfblood.” Maggie said. Lena nodded. 

“I’m sure. To be honest, I never really experienced normal for a halfblood.” She said. 

“True that,” Maggie said, turning to Sam. “What was the Roman place like?” She asked curiously. 

“Similar to Demos, though we started our halfbloods earlier. We tried to find those with godly blood as early as middle school sometimes. Our pre-college program is structured like a boarding school. After you’ve been claimed, if you are, you’re sorted into a legion and they become your family for as long as you stay. We obviously don’t force anyone to stay, but most do. It’s safer at the school for halfbloods, plus when you grow up there, it’s just normal.” Sam said. Lena, who had heard the explanation before, nodded. 

“Ah. Well, that’s probably got its pros and cons.” Maggie said. Sam nodded, checking her watch. 

“Hey, I’ve got a conference call in a few minutes. It was good to see you, Maggie. Don’t be a stranger. Even if Lena’s door is shut most of the time, mine’s open.” Sam said, getting up. 

“I just might take you up on that. Alex would be happy to see you.” She said. Sam smiled. 

“I’d enjoy seeing her too.” 

Maggie and Lena visited for a few more minutes before Lena had work to get back to as well. “Thanks for seeing me Little Luthor, it means a lot,” Maggie said, offering Lena a hand to shake. Lena accepted the handshake, nodding. 

“I’m glad you came.” She said. “It won’t be so long next time, promise.” She said. Maggie smiled, nodding before letting herself out. As she walked out, Kara sauntered in. 

“So, how was it?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. Lena looked up at Kara. 

“It was good.” She said quietly. 

“Glad you did it?” Kara asked. Lena chuckled, rolling her eyes. 

“Yes Kara, I was. It was good to see her. Almost felt like old times.” She said wistfully. Kara went to pull her chair next to Lena. 

“See? I told you it wasn’t going to be bad.” Kara said, rubbing Lena’s forearm with her thumb. Lena smiled. 

“Yeah.”

IV.

That evening, the two were on the couch, watching a movie together, Kara’s head in Lena’s lap, Lena’s fingers gently running through Kara’s hair. “You know, after today I was thinking,” Lena said, pausing. Kara looked up, propping herself up slightly. 

“About what?” She asked curiously. 

“Maybe invite everyone to the grand opening of the hospital? I know it’s probably over a year off from now, but it might be good to see them there.” Lena mused. Kara grinned. 

“I’m sure they’d all love that!” She said excitedly. Lena chuckled. 

“Yeah, I think I would too,” Lena said quietly. Kara leaned up, kissing Lena. She felt the CEO relax into the kiss, supporting the back of Kara’s head with her hand. 

“I think Alex begrudgingly misses you,” Kara said as they separated and Kara laid back down on the couch. “She won’t admit it freely, but…” Kara paused. Lena laughed. 

“Maybe she just misses fighting with someone and not feeling bad about it.” She joked. Kara swatted Lena. 

“She’s come a long way!” Kara insisted. Lena’s gaze softened, grabbing Kara’s hand. 

“I’m sure she has. That’s why I want to see them all again sometime. Not immediately. Maggie was a good step for now.” Lena clarified. 

“I’m proud of you, you know?” Kara said quietly. Lena nodded. 

“I know. This would have been much harder if it hadn’t been for you. I know I rely on you a lot, but…” Lena said. 

“No buts! I’m more than happy to do it! Besides, you’re doing this for you. Not for me. Or anyone else. If I get to be your anchor, then that’s what I’ll be. That’s what you do for people you love.” Kara said with a smile. 

“Where would I be without you?” Lena asked in wonder. Kara laughed. 

“Eating ice cream on this couch by yourself probably.” She joked. Lena chuckled. Her life was far from perfect. It had taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point. But she couldn’t find it in herself to regret it. She had made her mistakes. She’d be the first to admit that. But she was trying to right her wrongs the best she could. And with Kara’s help, she was well on her way to healing the mental and emotional scars she had sustained. Some would never fully heal, but they were getting less painful with time and support. 

No, her life was far from perfect. But it was perfect for her. And that’s what mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll. Can you believe this is the end of the road? It's a little bittersweet but I'm also glad it's over to some degree. This has been a joy to write, but I'm happy to finish it up and get it off my plate. It's probably one of the most difficult and ambitious things I've written ever, to be honest. 
> 
> Again, thanks to all of you who have stuck around this long. It's been a long two years and the series has had its ups and downs. I may write a one-shot compilation companion piece to this that is just a bunch of one-shots detailing some of Kara and Lena's relationship together, mostly after the war I'd imagine. But that probably won't be for a while. I want to take a break from this universe lmao. 
> 
> I hope this ending left you somewhat satisfied with how everything turned out for them. Lena's got her own life now, she's got Kara, she's got her own circle of friends and she's on her way to healing from the past. Pretty good outcome if I do say so myself. And Kara, well... She's got Lena, she still has her old friends and family and she's doing something she loves in helping other people with her influence at LuthorCorp. Yup. Pretty decent ending for both of them I think. 
> 
> Feel free to scream at me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


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